Being from India, a country that promotes handicrafts and handmade products as its pride, it was unusual for me to be unappreciative of the crafts. It was probably because of having grown up seeing an abundance, as most of our traditional household items were handcrafted. My perception changed five years back when I visited a craft cluster in Mysore (South India) as part of a collaborative unit during my BA graduation. What I saw there was breathtakingly intricate and almost unreal. It was more about the art of creating or the process that attracted me more than the beauty of end product.
For one of the projects, I collaborated with the Block printing clusters in India to experiment and create various shapes and textures to enhance my textile. Textile printing is a unique form of expression that highlights Indian heritage and has abundant textiles printed with traditional motifs and patterns. Talking about hand block printing, it been a part of Indian textiles for 600 years or more. There are many clusters across India mainly north India practising different hand block printing techniques.
Undoubtedly the beauty of hand block prints come from the human element, the slow process which by itself is an art in this highly mechanised world. The unique aspect of the print is not its handmade quality, but the distressed look which can't be replicated by the machine. A small imperfection, perhaps a broken line will add to the enchantment and uniqueness.
ORIGIN
Block printing traditions stretch as far back as the 12th century, with many areas cultivating their styles, which are renowned throughout the world. It is known to be one of the oldest methods of transferring designs and patterns onto fabric.
The idea of block printing originated in China 2000 years ago during the time of Tang Dynasty from there, it travelled to India and later to Europe.
In the 17th century, royals, especially the Mughals and Nizams were found of block printed textiles. They adorned their clothing and palace interiors with block printed textiles. Most of the popular block print patterns are from the Mughal period.
The British were in India from the early 17th century and were receptive to native culture and arts before the Raj family came into being in the mid 19th century. However, they did export block printed fabrics as luxury goods to Europe.
We spotted some of the block printed fabrics on display at Victoria and Albert museum preserved for its quality and Art value.
The demand for export in the 15th century by the Portuguese made it very popular in the Europe. The Indian colours were altered to more neutral shades to suit the European market's taste. However, the print design, technique and materials remained unchanged. Only small quantities were shipped to Europe, making them much more precious. India reached its peak as a textile exporter during the 18th and 19th centuries. However, the market was undermined when England developed machinery and synthetic dyes that could effectively “fake” the block printed look. Fabrics, gowns, furnishings and tents started to be made from printed materials, and soon they became a necessary part of royal processions.
Today Block-printed textiles are among India’s most successful exports. The enduring popularity of block printed cloth has sustained a centuries-old craft that survives and even thrives in the digital age. Indian block printers today are adept at calibrating production to suit the requirements of a highly diverse clientele.A significant chunk of the block print exports is for home decor. The high demand for sustainable and organic clothing is also adding to the widespread popularity of block prints on the global landscape.
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Pragya Sharma,Rajasthan, India