The Hut with Four Looms contd...

This is a clearer picture of the hut with four looms. I've said it so many times, it sounds like the title of a story or something!!! But this is the structure of a number of huts in the village, and the looms are all pit looms, as seen in the video.

The Hut with Four Looms

This was taken more for the sounds than anything else. It was also shot in the evening when the light was very low, so I apologise for the lack of clarity.

These looms belong to Sapanda, the main weaver for Bailou. There are other groups like this too, where there is a master-weaver whom others work for. This hut has four looms in it, three of which were being worked upon at this time.

My trip was cut short by a day.... I fell ill. Its not how I planned it at all! But it's alright. I've uploaded some more pictures on my flickr account, of this trip. It was nice being there - takes a little while to get used to the silence!! But I was staying in the middle of all the weavers, which was nice. I visited my neighbours, to see the work that was going on. Some working for Bailou, some for other export houses. Lots of tangal saris. I could meet the weavers I'm working with only post seven in the evening, because that was the only time they had free. We spoke about my college, what I learn, what this project is about. We also spoke about the state of handloom, the demands, the loyalties of the weavers. It was an eye-opener, and it is a mindset. There are those few who have different ideas, and are struggling to strike a balance between what is, and what they want. For the rest, its a mindset.

The Plan...

Well...

This is a first, but I'm just going to stick to instincts!! I have decided to hold a few workshops with the weavers in Fulia. What I intend to achieve out of these workshops is a pocket of new ideas in terms of designs for the products the weavers make. But these products will be generated through a combined effort - "combined forces", so to speak. I have come across a number of different processes used for design over the past month. But my question is, which one suits the craftsman the most? Or, which one suits the craft the most? There are different paths, all leading to the same collective end - Options that are laid out in front of the designer and/or the craftsman like a red carpet. It comes down to the choice, then. Which one do YOU choose?

My Calender for the Month

-note-

Please note the link to my flickr site where I am updating the photographs of Phulia/Fulia. The current lot is from my first visit.

Minutes of my First Review

The review started with a presentation. I had summed up my month of research into eleven slides, and two charts, and I talked my panel through it. I had also determined an output for my project – a book that generates awareness about the craft sector. I stated that I wanted it to be for new practitioners of textile design, ones that are fresh out of college, or just starting out in the field. After listening to all I had to say, and asking questions related to the information I had gathered, the feedback I was given was that I should now to take a stand and include my opinion on all that I had found out. Also, on its own, to use just Bailou as a model might not create the impact I want it to, and to therefore look at other such organizations as well (e.g. Weavers Studio and SASHA), and then draw the various contrasts and/or comparisons. I will also be going down to the village to learn their side of the story, and to strengthen this I was asked to maybe hold a couple of workshops or discussions that helps me gain an insight on which form of intervention the weavers think is most apt. To help in this whole ‘ice-breaking’ situation, we also brainstormed on the kinds of workshops I should/could conduct - the outcome of which would be the main crux of my project. Ideas such as generating combined mood boards, or working with music, or with colours were some that were discussed. Also, to gain complete access to information, I would need to strike a level of comfort with the weaver and his family, and the workshops might help with speeding this process up a bit. Another thing would be to find out their interest points and talk about them, rather than go in there with a closed agenda. To do this, the IDEO cards were recommended. Another question that was put on the table was to perhaps look at other business models and see if they could be related and could in fact enhance the model that has been adopted by Bailou currently. Also, to look at models that has been used by other companies for other forms of craft. I was advised to read through Anita Roddick’s ‘Body and Soul”, and also “The Craftsman”. In terms of my proposed output, I was asked to write the preface for the book – to include what would engage the reader to go through the whole thing, “concisely packaging” my whole project into a couple of paragraphs (that would be helpful for me too). I was also advised to expand the mediums I was using to record my research, and to include film and photography as well, even if they weren’t going to be included in my final output.

My next review is scheduled for the 22^nd of September, and this month will have a lot more active hands-on work that will be included. The last month had been my groundwork, so the pace of things should pick up now.

18th August, 2008