Conclusion
These three days were a valuable lesson for all. Some of the complexities involved included awkward photo shoots- the artists are not used to being directed in their day-to-day lives. Logistics were also a factor, as sites and situations are photographed best in a particular light. Weather + traffic + life = a constant race against time. Their work is also meticulous and time-consuming in nature, and stringent deadlines are a virtual unknown here. Also, a contemporary aesthetic called for precise tones, shading, and highlights, while the artist’s tradition-based aesthetic, rooted in realism and nature, caused the work to veer off course at times to a potentially disastrous degree- the application of too many layers of pigment in certain sections of the work would destabilize the cloth, and compromise its structural integrity.
This project also produced many fruitful results. The influx of inquiries regarding the cover was tremendous. It included everything from painting commissions to thoughtful questions regarding the artists and their time-honored processes. We also received widespread requests for visits from students, artists, prospective patrons, scholars, and collectors, reflecting the primary educational component woven throughout my Fulbright proposal. We hosted guests such as prominent Indian art scholar Dr. Isabella Nardi, Claire Tow Professor of Religion at Barnard College, Columbia University Dr. Jack Hawley, Udaipur-based artist Waswo X. Waswo, Dr. Debra Diamond, Elizabeth Moynihan Curator for South and Southeast Asian Art at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, pichvai scholar and collector Dr. Anita Bharat Shah, and London-based interior designer Shalini Misra. We also had the privilege of hosting a class of fashion textile students from the Amity School of Fashion Technology in Jaipur.