WeftsideStory: July 2008

After the initial conversations that I had with Bappaditya and his wife Rumi, I found myself in the midst of a lot of information I hadn't accounted for. As a result, I didnt know what had hit me, or where I was going! One thing was clear - I needed to take stock of the situation and I needed to do it fast, because otherwise the hysterics that were fast rising in my throat would get to me, after which all logic would fail!! So I made this chart. This is how I intend to work my information. I am using Bailou as a model, or an example of design intervention that has kept in mind the fundamentals of sustaining the craft. Understanding the organization in a systematic way, I feel, will give me a clearer picture on the effort that is being made from one who has an academic design background. Once I jot down all aspects of this level, I intend on going into the village, and doing a similar break-up of their rural set up. This, along with the information I hope to gain on the state of the craft before Bailou entered the scene, and the origins of it, will give me the base on which my document will be built.

So far I have dipped into the first level of this chart. I have started my cross-section of Bailou, and its departments in Kolkata and Phulia. I have been introduced to the Kolkata Team, and I will be starting my conversations with them from tomorrow. So here starts the Kolkata Journey. I'm going to stick to the theme and call them The Shafts. The Phulia 'gang', so to speak, shall be called The Shuttles. (I have a strong imagination, but thats as close to 'The Jets' as I can get in weaving terminology!!)

note to self: Perhaps I should illustrate it as I go along? I say this, because each conversation I have gives rise to really strong images in my head. Lets see... I'll keep this a thought bubble, and when the next image comes along, I'll try sketching it out. If it works - well – that’s a new aspect to the project right there!!

To study the lives of the weavers of Bengal, as they work under a mode of design intervention, in order to

1. Better my understanding and grasp of the subject of textile design, and of the importance of the involvement of designers in the craft space.

2. In doing so, redefine the context for design intervention in similar craft scenarios.

3. Identify new markets and opportunities for design intervention and sustainable livelihoods for the Bengal weaving community.

4. Understand, streamline and add value to their Intervention process while studying it for a period of three months.

Hypothesis

I believe that textile design, within the context of this country, is closely related - even dependent on the sustainability of traditional craft. Unfortunately, a gap exists between the two, making it seem as though the two are unrelated, yet design is integral in sustaining the craft. I feel, however, without the existence of traditional knowledge, Indian textile design will lose its inherent richness. Therefore, to gain a holistic understanding of the subject, and in order to be a successful practitioner, it is essential to understand this relationship and synergy.

Background/Current Scenario

In ‘Designers meet Artisans – A Practical Guide’ by the Crafts Revival Trust, it is stated

“Designers are an interface between tradition and modernity, helping match craft production to the needs of modern living.” And that “crafts need designers to bridge the gap and allow them to compete with products and practices of modern industrialization.”

I believe that in the context of this country, to be a successful textile designer, one must have an understanding of the handicraft that is produced, as it forms a part of our culture and heritage, and this plays a very important role in modern textile design. Textiles from across the country form a map of the area it originates from, defining it in terms of colour, detail, motif(s), and patterns. It defines the people – their sense of aesthetics. It defines the State in terms of the raw material available, and the need for certain fabrics. Each region has its own such set of ‘guidelines’, if I may? This craft originated from a need, and has become an identity - the craftsmen sustaining themselves, and their professions. With the emergence of “modern industrialization”, however, these craftsmen seem to find themselves at the bottom of the food chain, so to speak, as newer, more advanced technology takes over, and the impact of Western cultures define the aesthetics for the consumer. “The designer has thus emerged as a critical intermediary whose function, ideally, is to bridge the gap between the rural artisan and the urban client. This is all the more important at a time when the artisan may no longer be a designer, producer, and marketer rolled into one, as he/she was in the past”. The artisans seem to have lost the direct contact they once had with the consumer, and therefore are no longer attuned with their current needs and demands.

There has always been a great market for Indian textiles abroad – dating back to the Fourteenth Century. In reference to Bengal, the first few trades that have been recorded date back to the time of Vasco da Gama in 1578 AD. The quality of the work that was traded then was said to be “the finest ever seen”. Once the English East India Company took over, vast amounts of trade, I terms of textiles, took place - especially since indigo was grown in abundance here. With the onslaught of the Industrial Revolution, which took place post independence, machine-made goods came into the limelight. Textile companies from all over the world invested in India for their production. Today, the demand for the “Indian textile” has risen to another level, giving it a glorified position. ‘Designer ware’ and ‘brand consciousness’ holds a very high position in today’s urban markets. Indian textiles form an integral facet to ‘Brand India’, as part of its ‘image’ as it sells itself to the rest of the world. With the emergence of the Industrial Revolution, power looms, and the concept that ‘time means money”, however, the original craftsman was still the one who found him/herself without a job. Hence, the emergence of the need for design intervention/s.

I understand the need for such intervention at a time when the craft itself was losing its value, but what I question is whether there is a continuing need today when the awareness amongst people is so much more, and “sustainability” is the new buzzword. I feel, what started out as a method to ‘bridge the gap’ has turned into a few rope-bridges across the two, but somehow the crevice has stayed as wide, with no inclination to move towards one another, in a hope to merge at some point. Academic knowledge in terms of design seems to hold the upper hand, and the craftsman is becoming more of a tool than a resource. For example, the method that a craftsman has used over the years to sustain his/her craft, versus the knowledge a designer learns of sustainability through design processes, and guidelines. What will happen if the two should merge? Does it make it a stronger ground for sustaining the craft?

Why me?

My interest in this particular project originated with my internship where I worked with Weavers Studio – a textile house in Calcutta, where Indian textiles are being put in the foreground and sold to markets abroad. Weavers Studio offers jobs to not just weavers, but printers, dyers, master craftsmen in various types of surface embellishments and the like. It has helped them understand the consumer of today, teaching them newer techniques that are not restricted to traditional Indian patterns, but international techniques as well. It is one of the biggest users of natural dyes in its products, promoting the use of indigo – a dye that is indigenous to Bengal. But somehow I found myself wondering about the weaver and his traditional knowledge. What had changed in his knowledge of the craft? Is knowing the technique enough to brand him a ‘craftsman’?

The next example I came across, as a form of design intervention with similar weavers of Bengal was Bailou – the organization I intend to work with to further my study into this subject. Bailou started as a diploma project for Bappaditya six years ago, as he attempted to work with the weavers of Shantipur to produce his designs. Being declined at first by the Weavers Union, he appealed to the weavers once again, and was accepted by a single weaver who offered one out of the two looms he owned. Today, there are one hundred and fifty weavers working with Bailou. They are mostly sari weavers who traditionally work with different types of sari weaving techniques (e.g. jamdaani, dhakai). What I find most appealing about their work is the understanding they have jointly obtained of the various types of weaves that were traditionally used; thus allowing them to break its pattern, yet keep its fundamentals intact. I find the subtlety used in the products extremely inspiring as it uses the medium of weaving to its full potential – no surface textures or external embellishments are used. It directs the attention of the consumer to the fabric and its qualities alone. There is a dialogue between the designer and the craftsman, not a form of dictatorship. Bailou believes that the weaver should not be asked to move his workspace to that of a factory setup, as his home is conducive to the making of the product, where each member of the family has a role to play. I propose to study this aspect in detail. Have the design processes used here in terms of intervention enhanced the chances of the craft being sustained, and widened the scopes of its markets? Does this work better than giving the craftsman an opportunity to work with his craft, yet not be involved in the creative input? What is the importance of design intervention in lieu with sustainability? Is it just to provide jobs for the craftsmen, or empower them?

I intend to study this example of involvement in West Bengal, with the weavers as they struggle to sustain their craft in order to understand another facet of intervention within the same craft. Through this study, I aim to gain a firmer grasp on the situation, that will help me make my decisions as a practitioner in this field, and perhaps, further the awareness that is being generated, thus assisting in the formation of that point of intersection between craft and design.