ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing ArtsISSN (Online): 2582-7472
Role and Contribution of Printmaking to the Modern Indian Art Ashima Goel 1 1 Ph.D.
Research Scholar, Amity School of Fine Arts, Amity University Haryana, Dist.
Gurugram-122413, Haryana, India 2 Chair
Professor & Dean, Faculty of Arts, Amity University Haryana,
Pachgaon-Manesar, Dist. Gurgaon- 122413, Haryana, India
1. INTRODUCTION To "print" something means to "press a mark on a surface," as defined by the Oxford Dictionary. The mark that is left on a piece of paper when the type that has been inked is applied to it. In a nutshell, when people talk about prints, they are referring to a mold or a hollow container into which a liquid substance is poured so that it can set or cool in a specific form. In addition, using a matrix or mold, which is the medium in which something is cast or formed, might directly correlate with the printing process itself. (From the Oxford English Dictionary, 2006) In the meantime, the technique of creating artwork via printing, typically on paper, is referred to as "printmaking," and the phrase describes the process. The method is capable of making multiples of the same items, which is referred to as a print, except monotypes, which cannot be replicated. 2. The objectives of the research study To study the growth of printmakers in the contemporary art scene. To investigate how modernism and modernity have been shaped in Indian art. 3. The significance of the research study The challenge that science is trying to solve right now is
centered on our way of living. The artwork produced over a period of four
centuries has had a significant influence on the subsequent growth of graphic
art activities in our country. A very small number of serious thinkers has
raised the subject of the socio-cultural and formalistic difficulty that is
being confronted by current Indian graphic artists in our nation; nevertheless,
their contribution is neither very fulfilling nor very complete. This
researcher is qualified to conduct a worthwhile research project because they
are both a printmaker and a teacher. Their goal is to shed some light on the
status and nature of printmaking while it was under British rule in a short
amount of time while wasting little money and to their satisfaction. 4. The review of the literature Books by VatsyayanK (1997), including "The Square and the Circle of the Indian Arts." Significant to the study of Indian art, The Square and the Circle of the Indian Arts. This is more than just a book on art theory; it has far-reaching ramifications for how we view the trajectory of ideology and the development of aesthetics. It exemplifies the type of collaboration between the arts and sciences that should be encouraged in future studies. In the first section of the book, the author takes a fresh look at the metaphors and symbols found in the Vedas and the Upanishads, illuminating how these ancient texts inspired the formulation of aesthetic ideas, most notably those regarding Bharat in the Natyashastra. The Progressives in the Making of Modern Indian Art, by Yasmin Dalmia (2001). Husain Souza and Raza, two of India's most prominent living painters, were both once unknown and impoverished. This is the tale of their efforts, triumphs, and eventual fulfilment. This book chronicles not just these individuals and their accomplishments, but also the development of contemporary Indian art from its beginnings in the nineteenth century onward. Nath (2006) "Contemporary Art in India: A Perspective" (2001). The goal of this project is to shed light on the background and evolution of modern art in India. The book spans the previous 150 years, focusing on the various art and style genres and art movements that have enriched it. It features approximately 300 pictures. "The Art of Gulam Mohammad Sheikh," by Gulam Mohammad Sheikh and Gulam Sinha, 2002. The notions of art are the primary subject of this book. The Indian painter Gulam Mohammed Sheikh's complete works are included in this volume. The artist's brief biography is included as well. Tagore, Rabindra Nath, and Shergill, Amrita. This book has essays on the works of Rabindranath Tagore, Amrita Sher-Gil, and Jamini Roy, as well as reproductions of their displayed works, and was published on September 10, 2004. Tuli N. 2004 - "Indian Contemporary Art: Books, Paintings, and Sculpture (Volume 4)", Osian's art experts have put up a catalog for an auction of their wares here. The variety of images chosen is a testament to the depth and variety of the subject, and the inclusion of a bibliography ensures that readers will have easy access to more resources. 5. Development of Printmaking in India In India, the East
India Company published the earliest instances in Mumbai in a calendar that was
later translated and published in English by Rustomji Kurastaji. This calendar
was found in Mumbai. In the year 1814, the city of Marjban saw the printing of
an almanac written in the Gujarati language. Along the way, Portuguese
missionaries were responsible for introducing India to machine printing. The
country of India went through a moment of immediate social upheaval. (Das 2009, 22). The general populace experienced a
reawakening of their religious and social consciousness. During this period,
the artists were conducting a great deal of research and development on the
most recent print medium technology. In 1893, Raja Ravi Varma created a litho
press in Ghatkopar, which was located in Mumbai. (Jyoti
1985, p. 405) The press had been brought from Germany. He
decided to build this press so that he could print lithographs of oil paintings
he had done on religious and social themes to make his work accessible to a
larger number of Indians. The paintings of
Raja Ravi Varma were extremely popular throughout India during this period.
Through the process of oleography, he created the print "Birth of
Shakuntala and Mahalakshmi" with the assistance of the press. Shivaji and
Bal Gangadhar Tilak appear prominently in several paintings and portraits that
were created by Raja Ravi Varma. (Cold
2006, p.114-115) This litho
press was relocated from Ghatkopar to Melavali, which is close to Lonavala, in
the year 1898. In the 19th
century, the most common methods for illustrating books were acidity, metal
engraving, wood printing, and wood engraving. All of these other mediums were
only used for illustrating books at the time. The paintings that were popular
during that era featured fictitious depictions of mythological gods and
goddesses superimposed on scenes from everyday Indian life. Other paintings
were inspired by mythological stories or were created in a particular artistic
style. During the early years of the 20th century, the most important centers
for the printing of art were located in Kolkata, (Bawa
2011, p. 1894-1903) Hooghly, and Sri Rampur. Gaganendra Nath Tagore is credited with being
the first artist to consider breaking away from artistic convention and working
in the medium of art. In addition to that, he would create and then turn those
drawings into print media. Gaganendra Nath was the first artist to develop
print and employ print art as originality. He was also the first to use print
art. Following the
establishment of Indian societies in Calcutta in 1905 and Kala Bhavan
(Santiniketan) in 1912, artists started adhering to the true definition of
print art rather than commercial art and progressively strove to use the
possibilities of beauty in their work. The freedom to print artwork began to
emerge more and more over time, beginning in this era. In the year 1915, the
Tagores founded the Chitrashala in the vicinity of their historic ancestral
home in Calcutta. Not long after the Chitrashala began its operations, it
gained a significant amount of notoriety. This institution is responsible for
the birth of a significant number of original printmakers who have made
significant contributions to the world of print art. (Subramanyan
2014, p. 263-268) Mukul Chandra Dey, a member of this
institution who was working in a variety of art printing mediums, stood out as
one of the most promising individuals there. Between the years 1916 and 1918,
Mukul Chandra Dey traveled to the United States. In the United States, he
gained exposure to a variety of methodologies. And sometime later settled in
India and began working in the same fashion there. Samarendra Nath Gupta and
Nand Lal Bose were the winners. In 1917 and 1918, Artist was also a member of
the Gajendra Nath Vichatra Club. In addition to that, he started working in the
medium of printmaking. In addition to this, Mukul Chandra Dey, Ravindra Nath
Chakroboti, and Manibh Bhushan Gupta were all working in Calcutta together. By
1919, Mukul Chandra Dey had already printed several photographs using wooden
blocks; one of these, titled "human face on the boat," stands out in
particular. Figure 1
My First Etching
is the title of a book that was written by Nand Lal Bose. At the same time,
Nand Lal Bose was appointed to serve as the institution's first director of the
Kala Bhavan Santiniketan. Because of this, he became well known throughout the
years 1920–1921. This was the same period and location in India from which the
art of printing first emerged for the first time. He also painted Khan Abdul
Ghaffar while working at Kala-Bhavan, where he began his career in the print
art media in 1929 with the subject-written composition "Shajpath" by
DandiYatra of Gandhi in 1930. And done in lino medium. Nand Lal Bose
followed the approach of illustrating the action of the West, and he
established his method of expressing materialism in paintings with the
assistance of lines on a flat surface. (Majumdar
(2011), 517-552) Nand Lal
Bose's method of showing materiality in paintings is credited as being
originated in India. His paintings and prints both make creative use of black
and white, which is a defining characteristic of his work. In 1935, he began
working on the acidification method and produced several print drawings around
this time. Nandlal Bose died on 16 April 1966. (Ray 1850, p.42) Bihari Mukherjee, a disciple who worked in
the printed arts media and which caused Kala Bhavan to experience a setback,
continued working in this medium after the setback. The impact of Western art
is less obvious in Nanda Lal Bose's work, although European influences may be
observed in the imagery and visual impressions generated until the very end. Figure 2
Chitta Prosad
Bhattacharya moved to Mumbai from Kolkata in the middle of the fourth decade of
the 20th century. He was living in the United Kingdom at the time. It was in
this space that he worked in Lino Cut in Relief Medium. At this time, there was
a lot of social unrest, which stunted the development of art. (Chopra 2002, p.13) At this time, the standard of art was not
very high. There was a decrease in the market's desire for art that was
printed. During this stage, independence for the country was supposed to be
achieved. Despite this, the
artists Haren Das and Chitta Prosad Bhattacharya continued to create and move
forward with their careers. Printing methods are intertwined fundamentally.
Haren Das utilized a more traditional approach to the crafting of wooden
blocks, which resulted in very high-quality products. And Chitta Prosad
Bhattacharya's artwork was heavily influenced by rural culture, including rural
landscapes, folk dances, and folk paintings. He established his distinctive
approach to the process of moving his subject into a block of wood. By the year 1950,
the Bengal School had trained a significant number of young printmakers. A
great number of artists had moved to a variety of locations across the country
and were now passing on their expertise to others. Somnath Hore was one of
them, and he was an accomplished artist. Chitta Prosad Bhattacharya was the one
providing direction for the task that Somnath Hore was doing. The medium of
wood engraving was first established by Somnath Hore in the tenth and last year
of the fourth decade. In addition, very quickly made a name for himself as a
print artist and producer working in a variety of colorful intaglio materials.
He created his prints using a variety of techniques, including the stencil
method, lithography, intaglio method, and pulp method. Somnath Hore was a
prominent figure in the art community of Kolkata, Delhi, and Santiniketan not
only as an artist but also as a teacher. He was active in all three of these
cities. Students of art received encouragement from Somnath Hore to instruct
using this manner. Because of this, many of his students have gone on to have
successful careers as artists in the modern art world. Figure 3
6. TYPES OF PRINTMAKING METHOD Printmaking takes on a more sculptural appearance as a
result of this. Combinations of traditional printing methods with bits and
pieces of other media, utilizing a wider variety of printmaking skills and
technology. Printing can be done on a variety of materials other than paper,
including plastics (such as acrylic and polyester), metal, clay, and other
materials that can be printed on or embossed. In addition, printmaking can be
described in numerous ways, either in terms of its technique or its finished
output. In the context of printmaking, the term "multiples" refers to
three-dimensional edition art objects that have been employed in the production
of the piece. (Eichenberg
1976, p. 115) Printmaking now encompasses a wider range of
applications because of the proliferation of a wide variety of new materials,
equipment, processes, and techniques. 1)
Monoprint
(monotype): A unique print from a
limited run. There isn't a signed and numbered edition of the same print. A
glass or plexiglass is painted with an image, and then the picture is
transferred (or stamped) onto paper. The artist uses slow-drying paint or ink to
paint, rub, or wipe designs directly onto a plate. To avoid having to reprint
the image because the ink dried, hurry up and print it out. They use a press or
print by hand to create it. There is one overriding impression made on the
artist. A new print can be made using the leftover pigment, but it will not be
a replica of the original. There is no way to test the effect beforehand, so
you'll just have to take your best estimate. The artist is given a great deal of
leeway and spontaneity by using this approach. There Are No Displayed Examples from
The Museum's Collection. 2)
Engraving:
Printing with paper that has
been soaked in water and blotted is termed a lithograph and is created when a
metal plate is carved with lines using a V-shaped instrument called a burin;
ink is then pressed into these lines and wiped from the flat surface of the
plate. When the paper is damp, it is pushed into the grooves and absorbs the
ink. 3)
Etching: After a drawing is scratched into a waxed or
tarred metal plate, the plate is submerged in acid, which eats away at the
exposed areas, leaving behind shallow grooves that can be used to transfer the
drawing. After the plate has been inked, it is cleaned so that just the grooves
remain inked. Printing Soaked and blotted paper are pressed against the plate
in a press, sinking into the ink-filled grooves and absorbing the ink. 4)
Intaglio
Printing: (Italian for
"printing with a corroded, scratched, or incised plate"), the ink is
put below the surface of the plate, which has been wiped clean, and a sheet of
damp paper is then pressed into the surface. ·
Engraving In engraving, the
printing lines are carved or cut into the print medium, making it a type of
intaglio printing. The metal plate used to make the print is very thin and is
often copper. The plate's grooves are cut with a burin, a steel instrument with
a very sharp tip. Engraving using a burin is an arduous process that calls for
a strong arm and lots of force (this differs from etching which is done more
from the fingertips like a fine drawing). Heavier, more viscous ink is used to
ink the completed plate, and then the plate is wiped clean with a rag, leaving
ink in the grooves. After the plate has been inked, the paper is placed on top
while still slightly damp. The printing press applies enough pressure to the
plate and paper for the paper to pick up the ink from the grooves. The result
is crisp, elevated lines in the printed material. You can print hundreds of
times without worrying about the plate wearing out, as worn-out plates will
show weak lines in the print. The majority of the earliest engravings were
depictions of religion and book pictures. These items are highly sought after
by museums and private collectors today. Banknotes and official documents
including birth and marriage certificates are now engraved. Showcases from the
Museum: Henry Mouzon's an Accurate Map of North and South Carolina with Their
Indian Frontiers (Alexander Gallery); Mark Catesby's The American Partridge
(1712) (Spangler Gallery); John James Audubon's Roseate Spoonbill (1836)
(Spangler Gallery); Jean Solombre's Le Reflet (Williamson Gallery); 5)
Reduction
Block Print: If you want to make a
print using a relief printing technique, you should try reduction printing,
which is done with blocks made of wood or linoleum. In relief printing, the
block's flat surface is carved into, and ink is rolled across the resulting
surface. Ink will be absorbed by anything that has not been cut away, but it
will not seep under the cuts. ·
Woodcut often called xylography, is a type of relief
printing used in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a
block of wood so that the printing areas stay flush with the surface while the
non-printing areas are removed, usually with gouges. ·
Traditional
Chinese stone rubbings and woodcuts - After the invention of paper in China around AD 105, a new art form
emerged. Papermaking was introduced to Europe from the East, and with it came
the invention of relief printing, which gained popularity in the 15th century.
Woodcuts can be traced back to stone rubbings, which came much before that.
Classic literature and associated holy images were carved into big, flat stone
slabs so that Chinese scholars could examine them. First, lines were chiseled
into the stone, and then the damp paper was pressed and molded onto the
surface. This kept the paper in place within the chiseled grooves. The paper
was removed cautiously after the ink had been applied. The final product looked
like a bunch of white lines on a black screen. This process was the origin of
printing. Printing technology advanced as Buddhism traveled from India to
China, with a single block used to print both images and text on paper.
Blockbook printing describes this style of melding words and pictures. ·
Linocut is a type of printmaking that uses a sheet of Lino as the relief surface,
making it a variation in the woodcut process. Using a sharp knife, V-shaped
chisel, or gouge, a design is cut into the Lino surface; the elevated
(uncarved) regions indicate a mirror reflection of the parts to display
printed. 6)
Silkscreen:
A type of print where the stencil
is linked to a woven mesh and ink is pushed through the mesh. The screen was
designed with some regions shut out so that no ink could pass through. These
days, silk is rarely used, and as a result, cheaper fabrics like screen print
are increasingly common. Could be the better choice. The term
"serigraph" is used to refer to high-quality screen prints on paper.
The stencil may be painted by hand or done photographically. 7)
Lithography: This is a planographic printing process that
takes advantage of the incompatibility of grease and water. Lithographic ink is
only absorbed by the greased image on the smooth printing surface;
moisture-laden nonimage (blank) portions prevent the ink from sticking. The
inked surface is subsequently transferred to paper, a rubber cylinder, or a specialized
printing press (as in commercial printing). On a flat, porous surface, a design is drawn
or painted using a greasy medium, such as a conte crayon, grease pencil, or
tusche. Limestone and metal or plastic plates are widely utilized as work
surfaces. The ink is rolled onto the wet stone once the image has been drawn.
Antonia
(1983), p. 18–29) The oily
ink and water are repelled by the picture, but the rest of the surface soaks up
both. After the picture is etched into the stone, it is chemically treated to
amplify the result. Once the artist has prepared the printing surface, a piece
of paper is laid on top of it and the stone or plate is run through a printing
press. You can see the inked pattern on the paper now because of the pressure.
The artist redraws and reinks the surface so that more impressions can be made.
It's worth noting that lithography encourages cooperation between artists and
printers because of the technical requirements of the medium and the expertise
needed to operate the necessary machinery. Additionally, two workers are needed
to pull a large print. ·
History
of lithography: The advent of lithography in the 19th century
marked the first major innovation in printing technology since the 15th-century
development of relief printing. In 1798, a German named Alois Senefelder came
up with the idea. A comic playwright, he was on the lookout for a way to have
his plays printed in large numbers. Senefelder, seeing the commercial potential
of the method, patented it in Munich a year later. Only 20 years after its
invention, lithography had made its way to both England and the United States.
Although lithography was widely used as the primary printing medium for
periodicals early on, it was not widely recognized as an art form until much
later. Many people in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries only saw it
as a way to affordably purchase a painting by a famous artist. But following
its development in 1798, lithography quickly became a popular medium for
experimentation among European painters. (Jurgens
(2009), p. 23) They enjoyed
the impromptu feel that resulted from drawing on the printing surface itself.
Among these pioneers were such luminaries as Delacroix, Bonnard, Lautrec, and
Munch. It has evolved into a highly regarded art form with remarkable potential
for self-expression. These days it's not uncommon for artists to use
lithography in tandem with other printmaking techniques like silk screening.
Marc Chagall, Edvard Munch, Pablo Picasso, Willem de Kooning, Jasper Johns, and
Robert Rauschenberg, to mention a few, were among the most prominent
20th-century lithographers. Family Arc, by John Biggers (1992) at the Harris
Gallery; a $20 bill from the Bank of Charlotte from 1853 at the Alexander
Gallery are both examples of museum exhibits. Due to the nature
of printmaking, the complete edition must be printed at the same time. This is
because the artist must print one color at a time on each sheet of paper.
Prints were available at a price that was not prohibitively expensive, making
them accessible to a wide audience. Print is one of the artistic mediums that
is sometimes overlooked, even though it is an essential component in the
production of many forms of art. As a result, it is commonly seen as a
secondary component. Printmaking was considered to be a subgenre of visual art,
and only specialized merchants and collectors showed any interest in the
medium. When we talk about printmaking, we normally refer to it as something
that is exhibited in a gallery with a restricted size and the same type of
presentation. In addition, only a particular demographic will visit to view and
appreciate this form of artistic expression. 7. Printmaking contributed to the modernization of Indian art A work of art is a collection of artistic images. Artists and art lovers communicate through art. Art lovers think individually. This explains how works are interpreted differently. This applies to several creative media. Reproduction gives the material power over the artist and sometimes elevates the objective over the subjective. The artist's idea and execution, intent, and result differ. Printmakers, like all artists, want to express themselves. He replicates his work to sell it to many art lovers. Originality and innovation are good indicators of art quality if they are significant. Printmaking is original. Since the Monalisa has been envisioned and painted, a printer could not replicate it. A creative printer employs the technology to create and exploit its many possibilities, which provide different textures, qualities, colors, etc. than oil or acrylic paints. The artist can make more money by manufacturing duplicates of the same painting, but each copy will sell for less. However, certain printing methods limit print runs to reduce print quality. Thus, an artist uses printing to communicate his creativity and beliefs. He sometimes makes unexpected, spontaneous, autonomous art. The printmaker chooses appropriate graphic methods. Early printing technologies just copied text. Its creativity began with text ornamentation and illustration. Artists quickly adopted it. Europeans introduced printmaking to Indian printers in a few regions. Thus, it grew centrally. All these locations supplied commercial printing until certain European painters recorded Indian flora, wildlife, and landscapes. When more artists became interested in printmaking, workshops were started by individuals or organizations. Printmaking began when Goa and Bengal built printing machines in the early 19th century C.E. Duplicating matter became an art form quickly. Again, European skills influenced Indian printmakers. Raja Ravi Varma to Krishna Reddy used Western printmaking techniques except for block printing, which was uniquely Oriental. Indian modern art relies on inventiveness. Indian painters were driven by it. Experience fosters creativity. Experience fuels creativity. The creative shape comes from experience. The artist cannot depict an experience unless he has lived it. Daily absorption. It shows the intuitive logic of the human psyche, allowing specialized imagery to support a holistic vision. India's open culture, variety, and contradictory metaphysics might inspire creative minds to merge substance and concept. Inspiration without judging its tangible hierarchy is needed. Artists must quantify experiences to represent them. However, art should not only be a record of experience. It's a springboard for ongoing efflorescence. It shapes the notion in unanticipated ways. Expressive art is not art. Intuition is not universal since every experience cannot be expressed. "Most people do not or cannot utilize their eyes well," Rabindranath Tagore wrote to Jamini Roy. The artist must persuade the unperceptive masses to see what he sees. Artists vary from laypeople. Perception guides most people, while creativity is intuitive. Critics must anticipate, approach, and grasp the dynamics of any work or object to effectively analyze it. Technical characteristics are often ignored in art. Rabindranath Tagore's painting competence doesn't matter, nor does Henri Rousseau's amateurism. Critical analysis entails experiencing and evaluating. Due to its technical importance, print, and graphic art analysis is more difficult. The printer-art lover relationship is intricate in an expressive print. Digital printmakers are expanding beyond traditional printing. Critical study of these works must consider both aesthetic excellence and technical axiology. Printmakers use several tools. A print might fail without a basic technical understanding of these instruments and machinery. Art is alive, born of many spiritual forces. The printmaker's capacity to transcend technical and mechanical abilities affects its aesthetic worth. This area of the printmaker's work shows how his beliefs are conveyed in his whole artistic legacy. The body interacts with the printmaker's work to create this field. Given the rising interest in printing and the possible distribution of set-ups in different areas of India, there is a possibility to inspire and perpetuate this craft by fostering younger appreciation. Printmaking would be more accepted as a significant art form if its expressive potential was properly analyzed. Art is born repeatedly, unlike existence. Cliff paintings may have been ritual-magical rather than aesthetic. It is often a unique creative practice. It started as hands-on cave walls without highlighting tools or materials. Self-criticism was fun, instilling confidence in the process and sustaining it. Joy permitted primitive artists to experiment with animal fats and earth colors with their naked palms. Rabindranath, arguably, best understood this in his all-encompassing inventiveness, painting with whatever available colors, including tea fluid and green leaf juice. Since creativity—in art or life—is about reaching out. Reaching out helps creative artists convey their feelings, beliefs, and ideas. He wants to reach many. Kant believed art was unique. Correct. Leonardo da Vinci's Monalisa is original, but art historians think he painted a few duplicates. The "unique" Monalisa would not be as popular without the printed copy. Raja Ravi Varma's clever oleograph reproductions and nationwide distribution made his paintings so successful. Raja Ravi Varma made no innovative prints. Prints as art were discovered slowly. “Prints are adapted to all eras, all levels of man, and all fortunes, the cost much less than painting, the understanding of them more readily gained; and they grasp all types of subjects,” said art historian Carl Zigrosser, quoting an 18th-century author. They're helpful and fun. prints delight youngsters and enlighten them at the same time by making alive imprints on their thoughts. This information is not more quickly acquired but is more permanent than that transmitted by words.” Bhardwaj (n.d.) Prints were affordable and expressive enough for middle-class art aficionados in the West. Even in Europe, prints were seen as secondary arts and crafts. Dürer, however, enhanced art. "Panel painting is still the art of the well-todo man with trendy preferences," Arnold Hauser said in the Social History of Art. Print, woodcut, and engraving are the first popular, relatively affordable fine arts products of the tiny folk, the little man, if not also the peasant and the proletariat. Chaturvedi (2012) Contrary to popular assumption, printing may produce aesthetically evocative images like paintings. Like fine artists, printmakers create from a concept. Anupam Sud, a famous printmaker, revealed her laborious method. "I'm more into metaphorical topics now," she wrote. I use line and aquatint to create smooth chiaroscuro by scraping dark parts. I sometimes merge photographic photos with drawn regions to contrast subjective perception with harsh objective reality and quietly throbbing human shapes. Most of my works represent the surroundings and people around their mental world, which is more real and significant to me than physical reality.” Das (2009) Her statements indicate an introspective approach to art, linking graphic methods with refined interior sensitivity to question their validity. Printmakers share Matisse's "what I am pursuing, above all, is expression" philosophy. My look is neither poison on a face nor violence. My composition is emotive. Everything—figures, objects, empty spaces, proportions—matters. Composition involves decorating the painter's tools to communicate his feelings. Color should best serve expression.” Bawa (2011) Painters and printmakers share a creative philosophy. The artist starts a painting by visualizing a setting or circumstance. Painters and printmakers create self-aware imagery. Prints may be reproduced and owned by many, unlike paintings, thus the result is the same. However, art requires dynamic sign-based coding. Images constitute an artistic text. All creative and aesthetic endeavor develops their own ramified synonym-rich language, which alone allows for numerous art forms. Paintings and prints differ in technique, not language. Color and lines can be compared to things. Visual arts sign systems change throughout time. Processed flat surfaces, image edges, and frames are semantic aspects of the painting system. Not for printing. It's relief-like. Krishna Reddy's relief intaglio. His "Whirlpool" depicts the tumultuous universe. The print's relief quality and focused shapes and other components communicate an unknown mysterious nature of cosmic energy. The painting uses the format and figure size as indicators. Painting huge signage has several benefits. Printmaking limits size. Because metal plates were costly, printmakers had few size options. Cardboard, plyboard, sun mica, and other inexpensive materials followed. Goa printers employed vegetable colors, sandal dust, and lamp black before the first two printing machines. Kolkata's Tagore family encouraged printing in India's early days using lithography and woodcut. Raja Ravi Varma's oleographs brought art to everyone's house. Lithography eventually stalled due to its development. Lithography's biggest drawback is its limited experimentation. Art schools still use the same method. New and better printing methods have caused lithography's downfall. Due to its experimental ability, etching, silkscreen, and papermaking grew increasingly appealing. Silkscreen allows artists to create any effect. Printmaking attracted numerous painters. Serigraph is simpler than intaglio. The creative mind always finds new ways to express itself. Computers created Digital Graphics. Digital graphics are limitless. Time is crucial today. Seurat spent seven years painting his masterpiece "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" with dots or color points. In our postmodern period, few painters could achieve the same. Digital art has slashed work time. Digital printing takes hours while intaglio printing takes days. Digital prints come on paper, canvas, and plastic. Any print from anywhere could be accessed along with copyright protection of the print. This technique is attracting printmakers. Painters are also combining digital images on canvas along with oil or acrylic paint. Digital printing will replace many traditional printing methods, like acrylic paint replacing oil paint for its faster effect. The initial prerequisite for a printing setup is a workshop and its operational state, which has been described several times in earlier chapters. India lacks international-standard workshops. Bharat Bhavan's workshop isn't air-conditioned. Taking a print while standing in the hot sun is challenging because of the rapid drying of wet paper and the uncertainty of how wet to keep it before taking a print. When the viscosity of these colors is increased, they dry very quickly, making it impossible to continue printing. At lower viscosities, soft colors soften due to heat and the printmaker cannot determine the structure of the paint and so the print softens and chokes up due to heat. During summer, lines can be rendered but it is also very hard to control their texture. Only screen printing can withstand heat. Printmaking requires air-conditioned workshops, which India lacks. Print preservation is harder in humid Indian settings. Fungi contaminate prints. Most workshops lack the lockers and containers needed for this. Printmaking is hard and dangerous. Printmakers have health problems from form chemicals. Printmaking chemicals include nitric acid, spirit, thinner, reducers, resin dust, brasso, kerosene, etc. All are exceedingly poisonous and caustic. Printmakers should only risk it if they love art. Traditional etching is riskier. Creating body-friendly technologies and approaches can fix this. Etching acids affect printmakers and the environment. Concentrated hydrochloric and nitric acids and nitric oxide from metal etching inflict damage without a scent. Many of our printing workshops handle these dangerous chemicals improperly. Acid treatment demands a costly ventilation system. The researcher was dismayed to find few workshops nationwide with sufficient ventilation. Acids, gases, and more. Asphaltum and resin particles are lung-damaging. Powders cover air-absorbing cells and may permanently block them, causing pulmonary dysfunction. Electric approaches overcome traditional methods' drawbacks. Electroetch and Microtint are examples. Electroetch lines etch plates. Microtint creates a controlled roughened plate surface that holds ink like aquatint without rosin. Both methods employ electrical conductors. A regulated voltage direct-current source connects the plates to a water-based electrolyte solution. Electroetch is the anode and another cathode. Microtint and Electroetch do not use acid and are safe. Unfortunately, Indian printmakers don't employ these methods. This study found Electroetch and Microtint popular among printmakers at numerous U.S. art institutes. Western Michigan University and NYU have these machines in their printing workshops. Markets sell aquatint-textured plates with heavy coatings on the back. When printing becomes safer and greener, many art students will take it up. Art is tied to human needs and societal progress in social production. Beauty is objective since it depends on the object's worth to humans. Environment determines worth. Artists should work in a temple-like setting, according to the ancient Indian Silpa scripture. Ugliness-free society is beautiful. Creative minds require such an atmosphere. A tortured artist can see and create beauty. He would have conveyed his difficult condition and worldly discomfort. According to German philosopher Emmanuel Kant, creative desire allows him to leap from necessity to unpurposeful action. He achieved the tremendous task—pushing his life's limits—because of this drive to express himself. Art history recounts numerous artists' Herculean efforts in hostile environments. Because he wanted to talk to his world like a master. Given these considerations, modern Indian printmakers deserve better. Many Indian students with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in printmaking want to work in the field but don't have the resources. It's frustrating that the country with some of the richest individuals can't give creatives world-class facilities. 8. Conclusion Any art and cultural movement seek to strengthen a nation. The endeavor to reject alien influences and develop a language rooted in our culture was magnificent. Indian art and humanities gave Tagore's final word to Raja Ravi Varma, which historians ignored. It was crucial since each significant change in a nation's civilization begins with art and culture. The 19th-century movement persists. Artists are nationalistic. We wanted to develop a visual language for Indian modern art, not only painting as a profession. It has to employ current technology yet be entrenched in our culture. Painting Indian miniatures or Ajanta and Ellora was worthwhile. We had passed those stages. Tribal, folk, and historic art strengthen a nation's culture. We still retain these components because of Indian folk and tribal art. As the researcher concludes this study, Indian contemporary art, like modern art, culture, and philosophy, is evolving around our folk and tribal elements. One cannot ignore this reality.
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