If we observe the folk-art practiced around the globe, we will find one common factor about them. Each Folk-Art followed certain themes as the subject of their paintings. And their art practicing revolved around those subjects and themes like folk-lore of that area, mythological stories or significant stories from popular epics. Traditional Warli Painting also has distinct subjects for their art practices which they take from their own day-to-day life. It is simple in nature and that makes it unique from other folk arts. But in recent days with gaining wide popularity, new generation warli artists started experimenting more with their subjects. We will talk about it later. Now we will mainly focus on the traditional Warli Painting and classified traditional Warli Art based on their subject matter.
Warlis live in thatched mud huts. The walls of these huts are embellished with the warli art. These paintings depict the scenes from rural India. where women at their daily household chores, men at respective vocations, babies in their cradles, animals and birds like peacocks, hens, cows, birds all form an integral life, all created in a loose rhythmic pattern. They see themselves as joyous dancers in this time frame. This cyclic nature of time is played out in all spheres of their life and can be best seen in their annual cycle of work, thanksgiving, enjoyment and work again. Their art also expresses an interesting aspect of their inherent philosophy than of prosperity. All their stories with its various
moods and views are expressed with just two basic colors.
Tree which play a crucial part in the Warli’s livelihood are given careful attention in the paintings. Different varieties of trees are drawn in detail forming intricate decorative patterns. They prominently depict Tigers, Corn Fields, Peacocks, Cockroaches, Horses, Snakes, Birds, Squirrels, Monkeys and other manifestations of nature. Warli painting have various subjects or themes. But broadly we can
classify warli painting into three pattern based on subject matter; Marriage Painting, Harvest Painting and painting at the time of birth and death.
1. Marriage Painting:
Marriage is the important ceremony among the Warli Community. The process of painting during the wedding is as important as the complete itself. The Warlis believe that with the marriage of the bride
and bridegroom all living things are fertilized and re-energized into creativity. Every single marriage is a cosmic event and the long process of marriage rituals, designed as it is to affect creation is carefully observed according to convention.
Warlis follows some strict rules at the time of drawing the wedding celebration painting. Only a Savasini, or a woman whose husband is alive, can make the main portion of painting consisting of the
Caukat. These Savasinis prepare the white paste for the painting by sieving the rice flour. Then the wall is leaped with cow dung over which geru (red mud) is smeared. After smearing the Caukat (the square) is made. All the paintings made on the occasion of the marriage symbolize the existence of Warlis and wedding cannot take place in the absence of these paintings. These drawings are called Chowks.
All the elements in the chowk are replete with symbolism. These are designed around large ornate
squares with elaborate concentric patterns, the grooms precision is often depicted in a corner. The chowk is executed in the houses of both the bride as well as the groom. The most significant symbol
painted in the center of the chowk is of mother goddess, Palghat. The Savasinis or Suhasinis, first start filling up the square frame (Cauk) towards inside from these four lines, with geometric strip.
First strip consist of triangles, symbolizes cymbals (Tal-a musical instrument) plays by Shaman to please the goddess of fertility. The next frame is known as Pasondi (a silver waistband). Further inside the triangles are drawn horizontally with small gaps symbolizing drums called Dhaks. Then again another silver chain called Sakli is drawn. This is followed by strip of squares representing the containers of Kunku (red powder used to put in the hair parting of married women). Then the main figure of Palaghat is drawning the centre with hands and legs widely spread out symbolizing a delivery position. In the corners figures of moon, sun, comb, and ladder are drawn. Some Suhasinis also draw Tarpa (wind musical instrument) and Ghangli (a string instrument).The sun and moon and the earth (Palaghat) are believed to be the supreme forces, whose presence is required during the wedding ceremony, to bless the new couple to be fertile. The Tarpa and Ghangli are considered sacred. The Comb is symbol of engagement, whereas the ladder connects or links the Warlis with foodgrains stored on the house lofts. Outside the straight four lines a strip is drawn for decorative purpose only.
Another scene, surrounding the traditional picture of Palaghat, is newlyweds on a horse surrounded by musicians and dancers. Left side of the painting consist of the people sitting under the pendol (a shade
made out of wood and grass) enjoying food and drink. The remaining part just depicts the other village activities and also a Tarpa dance formation can be seen in the right corner. It is interesting to mention that the bride is always sits in front of the groom on the horse. Simultaneously, other women of the village drew trees, animals and human figures around the square. Right above the Caukat, the sun tree was being drawn on the right hand side; the toddy tree and the basing tree were being completed.
2. Harvest Painting:
Warlis worship the mother nature and harvesting is an important part of their livelihood. As in warli painting we can observe activities of their daily life, thus agricultural activities are prominent of all the themes, where men and women are shown sowing, transplanting, harvesting and threshing.
By end of October month most of the rice has ripened has been cut. Harvest signs impounded on the door, after the first rice is brought home are impressions of hand. The first harvest sees row after row of first marks, impounded on the walls in white rice paste. These are done at places which are potentially weak the joints of the walls. These beautiful hand designs (fist) are like paisleys symbolize the abundance. It is noticed that the artist has divided canvas for serializing Harvest related activities. Bottom right is the field with ripe crop, above it are portrayed various activities- harvesting, making bundles, piling them, cooking food, chasing away animals and the circular area on the left is the granary used for threshing grains from husk.
3. Painting at the time of birth and death:
Warlis believe that death is not the end of human existence but another beginning. They believe that death is same as marriage and observe almost similar rites. Circular patterns are drawn both at the
time of birth as well as at death. Since in their daily life the Warlis have to actively contend with nature God, thus there is not only the sun and the moon gods but the god of thunder, of Lightening, of the beginning of the tentative move towards sculpture. The ancestral spirit which seems to demand a molded form also allows the Warlis to find self-expression in wood and stone.
In the center on the bottom enshrines the deity with sun and moon forming its part, the raise rising from its figure turn into birds in the sky, the animal world, symbolized by a Tiger figure, sustains into its being, and from its energy grow trees and generates life around. The deity is the simplified of the
cosmos and hence hardly any facial features except eyes-the eternal witness. Musicians, drummers, horn blowers and dancers apart, four abstract forms- men, birds, animals or whoever are playing it
homage.
Since started from the primitive age the Warli painting still practiced in Modern days for its uniqueness and exotic, vibrant outlook. In recent years Warli Painting has become a celebrated from of Folk art and has gained popularity worldwide. As it exposure has increased, the theme of painting, the technique of painting has changed day by day. In new generation warli artists are too eager to learn
new compositions, Explore new subject matters, medium and technique. In modern days warli artists use paper as the base of their painting. Instead of using chewed stem now-a-days they use painting brush which is available in the market. In case of using color we can also observe a change. In warli painting the color used is the earth color made from mud and rice pest. But Warli painters of today’s use poster color on paper to depict their creation. Not only this, in some recent years another major alteration has witnessed. We all know that in warli only two colors are used; but in recent years warli artists use various colors to depict their imagination. Contemporary Warli paintings have however been branched out of usual colors and started using vibrant as well as rustic colors.
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Well explained.