Page 277 - Art and Crafts of Bangladesh

274 ART AND CRAFTS

on the ground, we observe similar pictures in stone slabs, in the decorated wooden
piece of the carpenter, in the tattoo on bodies, jewelry, in colorful kanthas and the fine
cane knots of the house. Though the methods of creating pictures are different in
different places there is a similarity in their tradition.’ [Trans.]
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Woman’s entrance into the world of mainstream art is largely against social
conditions. The sort of art that women are prepared to create is completely different
from high or mainstream art. This is due to the indisputable fact that women and men
are different. They are different even though they belong to the same society, family
and environment because in the patriarchal society where they grow up, there is great
discrimination between them from the very beginning. This discrimination
channelizes the aesthetic consciousness and view of life in different directions. Heide-
Goetner Abendroth has written, ‘As matriarchal art derives from the structure of
matriarchal mythology which is a completely different value system and not merely a
reversed or contradictory one from that of patriarchy, it too shares this different system
of values. The erotic is the dominant force and not work, discipline, renunciation. The
continuation of life as a cycle of rebirth is its primary principle, and not war or heroic
death for abstract, inhuman ideals.’ Thus woman’s primary aesthetic consciousness
16
is used to hold patriarchal society together. This positive female force nurtures
patriarchy with love because woman’s consciousness and therefore her art is never
self-centered. Woman always works at a level which is generally understandable and
easily accessible. Her art and life is never separated. The separation of art and life in
patriarchal society has divided mainstream or high art into many different branches.
In fact, woman’s matriarchal values are cooperative and universal at the core of which
is the desire to awaken fertile energy. This value system works as an undercurrent in
patriarchal society in the conscious and sub-conscious states of woman. This
matriarchal value system has been recast by patriarchy for its own purpose. Thus,
when woman enters the world of art created by the male, she enters it going against
her training and instincts. The enormous and extraordinary maternal energy of woman
becomes a separated, individual entity when a woman enters the unknown world of
male created aesthetics; she enters the competition on unequal terms.
Often we find women who show great promise in their art education but cannot later
fig. 7.7 (top) Mould for keep pace in the actual world of mainstream art. This world of art seems to be very
mango pulp, after Naksha difficult to harmonize with social pressure, family life and child rearing. This world
a Collection of Designs of
Bangladesh, Sayyada R. of pure art separated from the flow of life seems to be at odds for a woman to manage
Ghuznavi, (Dhaka 1981) while leading a normal family life. That is why we often observe women leaving art
divorced from life and society and leaning towards applied art. Perhaps because the
fig.7.8 (bottom) Nakshi self-centeredness, self-consciousness and sense of self-esteem of women do not
pitha (rice cakes), after An develop along the same lines as males this situation is created. Women are forever
Anthology on Crafts of busy trying to satisfy others. She finds fulfillment by being secondary herself and
Bangladesh, Bangladesh,
Bangladesh National Crafts bringing happiness, peace and taking care of the family. It is impossible to find a
Council, (Dhaka1987) place in the world of art with this attitude. Thus, if we study the lives of women who