SHELTER FROM THE STORM
The Resilience of International Slum Blue
India: a country so deeply rooted in the textiles industry that it is impossible to hear the name without imagining a land of antique woodblocks, fine cottons, exceptional crafts and colourful silks. But there is another fabric that is integral to life here. It weaves between the buildings, stretches through the trees, covers, conceals and protects from the sun or the heavy rain of the monsoon. The bright blue of tarpaulin spreads through the cities. It fills the skyline with construction and aspiration while providing shelter for the inhabitants down below.
Tarpaulin originated as a canvas or cotton that was treated to provide additional strength and waterproofing. Early examples show flax linen coated in linseed oil created from the flax seeds, providing the protective layer. Although heavy-duty flax canvases are still available, the name ‘tarpaulin’ now covers a multitude of synthetics, laminate sheets, plastic and vinyl. Historically this material was claimed by the maritime community as a ‘tarred palling’, a waxed canvas sheet that was pulled (from the word ‘pall’ meaning cover) over objects on deck. The durable and waterproof nature of these materials became essential in protecting humans and objects against the elements, making tarpaulin a valuable architectural fabric for creating temporary constructions and shelters. A vital piece of kit for the military, refugees and anyone with limited resources, tarpaulin provides protection for those in need.
Flying into Mumbai provides a unique arial perspective of a city adapting to the huge problem
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of overpopulation. From the air, parts of the city become a patchwork of blue tarp creating some of Asia’s largest slums. As the population of India continues to expand, people flock to the cities trying to make ends meet and over 50% will end up living in temporary housing. The low cost and temporary nature of tarpaulin creates adjustable shelters that allow people to function within such limited spaces. In Transgression; Towards an expanded field of Architecture, Louis Rice describes Mumbai’s informal houses as active spaces performing a multitude of functions. He describes how ‘the “building” is a swarm of activities and profusion of materials.’ These resourceful communities create structures which function as office, laundry, workshop, kitchen and bedroom for an extended family, all from a few square metres. Local leatherworkers of Dhavari slum have found a new potential for the material, sewing the colourful plastic sheets into bags and wallets to sell to tourists as part of ‘The Waterproof Project’.
During June to August the whole of the Dhavari becomes a shimmering sea of blue plastic, waterproofing the buildings for monsoon season. This iconic blue of tarpaulin is known throughout the world and has been identified as ‘international slum blue’ by Louis Rice (a play on Yves Klein’s International Blue). But why this blue? Of course, with such a functional material the reason is primarily down to cost; blue dye is cheaper than other colours, even white which requires a less economical bleaching process. But this distinct colour also has other powers. Practically, its4
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KEEPING BODY AND SOUL TOGETHER
A rare collection of Chinese collaged Ge Ba
BLOCKING AND TACKLING Mhairi Muncaster visits block carvers in Gujarat
In Gujarat, not far from the incredible and vibrant city of Ahmedabad, with a rich textile history of its own, I met a fascinating community of wooden block carvers. I travelled to India on behalf of the William Morris Gallery, London, to meet artisans who practise traditional techniques that Morris used when producing his iconic designs. With a focus on block printing and natural dying I was fortunate to have met a local man, Lokesh Ghai; an academic, artist and expert on Indian textile techniques. Lokesh was able to introduce me to exciting textile practitioners and he also recommended a visit to the village of Pethapur to meet a community of wooden block carvers there. Pethapur is located in the state of Gandhinagar on the Sabarmati River, which came as no surprise as textile production in India – and all over the world – is often located next to rivers to take advantage of this great natural resource.
The block carvers regularly meet with Western tourists and academics to promote the ancient craft which they strive to keep alive. The blocks that they make are commissioned by textile designers all over India and there are examples of their work in museums in London and France, including at the William Morris Gallery where the blocks are used in workshops for elderly people with dementia. The block makers work to a brief or use popular traditional designs from their collection of templates.
The village of Pethapur is a historic centre of block carving, although the numbers of carvers working here have dramatically declined: the craft is not well paid, despite it demanding high levels of skill. At the Centre for Wooden Block Carving I met a young man who spoke fluent English, who told me that he was taking a year off between school and university to learn this ancient craft. He also regularly translated for the older carvers who were passing on the craft’s skills and knowledge to him.Traditionally, carvers would have worked in family groups with skills being passed down through generations.
The carvers use teak because it is soft enough to be carved, and does not expand or contract as much as other woods: so when carved, the block keeps its shape. The wood is polished with what the craftsmen describe as a ‘river stone’ which has been made smooth by the flow of the Sabarmati River. Once the wood block has been smoothed with the stone and any knots removed, the block’s surface is then painted white so that the dark wood underneath will create a strong contrast when the carving begins. The design is drawn or painted on tracing paper and placed over the painted wood. Incisions are made with a sharp tool so that the shape of the design is then picked out.
The carvers’ work is extremely intricate, with some complex blocks easily taking up to four weeks to carve. Because of the delicate nature of the work (some of the designs have extremely fine lines) all of the tools used are operated by hand. The carvers use a variety of tools to carry out their work, such as a hand drill (which uses a bow and files) and chisels in various sizes used to tap carefully at the wood. All of the carvers are aware that if mistakes are made during this tentative process, the whole block is spoiled.
On my visit, the carvers displayed a stunning collection of pattern templates. Some of them were made by the eldest carver’s grandfather and date as far back as the 1920s. The craftsmen are very proud of their tradition and feel close to its rich history. There have been wood block carvers in Pethapur for at least 300 years.
It was wonderful to see such a skilled and traditional craft still being practised in the same way, in the same site as it has been for hundreds of years. It was also rather poignant however; the wooden block makers are practising an art which requires a huge depth of understanding, skill and patience, and yet according to their own experiences there are very few young people who want to learn their techniques today. Much of the younger generation would rather leave for the city and a higher salary, while the carvers compete against machine rotary printing or screen printing, producing different results from hand-block printing as well as higher carbon emissions, and fewer jobs for skilled craftsmen.
Textiles produced by hand-block printing can be versatile and beautiful, and many of us have them in our homes. At the William Morris Gallery we will continue to research the importance of these crafts. As Morris was so inspired by handblock printed Indian textiles, it is crucial that we continue documenting the artisans still working with textiles today. ••• Mhairi Muncaster
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A ‘contemporary Indian aesthetic’ is what many Indian artisans are hearing when their work is described today, but what does this actually mean? As Chinar Farooqui’s brand Injiri (meaning ‘real India’) demonstrates, it’s not about fuelling any postcolonial visions of the country as a westerner’s exotic paradise, filled with extravagant colour and kitch religious iconography, nor is it about ditching the many facets of India’s culture. Instead, it’s about reinterpreting historic crafts that are often ornate (and to a certain extent, almost deified by craft enthusiasts the world over) into practical, elegantly simplified products for the modern world. Take for instance Injiri’s use of woven borders and selvedges across their home textiles. Often seen by many makers in the West as a mere by-product of handloom weaving, this subtle feature is made a focus of Injiri textiles. Rejecting popular arguments that many Indian designers now cater to a Western or Eastern gaze, Chinar caters only to one demand: textiles themselves. Giving prominence to naturally occurring effects of hand-weaving is traditional in India as seen in the sari; a garment that embraces every inch of material, transforming textile happenstance into definining elements such as the pallu; the loose end of the sari draped over the wearer’s head. Reinterpreting this tradition with a minimalist, modernist approach, Injiri quells the romanticisation of India as an exotic paradise – an attitude that many consider symptomatic of a postcolonial condition; one that reduces an entire country, as complicated and as real as any other, to a mystery. Along with other designers pushing forward a new ‘contemporary Indian aesthetic’, Injiri is crafting a solution to this. www.injiri.co.in
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EVENTS dates for your diary AT THE CROSSROADS A panel discussion with entrepreneur Libby Hobbs and illustrator Georgina McAusland on Friday 30 June 12.45-1.30pm at New Designers, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH www.newdesigners.com AN EVENING WITH ANTA Annie Stuart explores ways to bring Scottish light indoors on Saturday 19 August 6.30-8pm, ANTA, 117 - 119 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4JN tickets £10 from www.selvedge.org WALKING THE TIGHTROPE A panel discussion with Ptolemy Mann, Margo Selby, Emma Sewell and Harriet Wallace-Jones Wednesday 20 September 11am, Decorex, Syon Park, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 8JF www.decorex.com WIN gifts and offers for our readers 83 PRIZES THIS ISSUE Ten handmade cushion covers from Rajka Designs, worth £85 each www.rajka.com A large Larusi linen tablecloth worth over £150 and six napkins worth £10 each www.larusi.com A Maku hand-made Kantha and Jamdani scarf in indigo. worth £300 #makutextiles
INFORM the latest news, reviews and exhibition listings
03 BIAS /CONTRIBUTORS A letter from the founder, Polly Leonard and comments from our contributors. 07 NEWS Larusi, Eva Schlechte and Jennifer Hier, Circular Abstractions: Bull’s Eye Quilts, Ames Design, Sophie Anderson, Really, Somaiya Kala Vidya 78 SHOP TALK NO 6 Jane Audas goes shopping at Matta. 80 SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS The first 100 three-year subscribers will receive a handmade Péro silk purse worth £150. 82 BACK ISSUES Complete your collection. Many issues are now sold out or have limited stock. All issues available for digital download. 84 BOOKS Embroidered and Stitched Textile Fragments from Kashmir in the collection of the Calico Museum of Textiles, by Anne Morrell, reviewed by Rosemary Crill; Frieda Kahlo: Fashion as the Art of Being, by Susana Martínez Vidal, reviewed by Chloe Sayer. 86 VIEW Phulkari: The Embroidered Textiles of Punjab, Philadelphia Museum of Art,
reviewed by JoAnn Greco; Art of the In-Between, Rei Kawakubo / Comme des Garçons at The Met Museum, reviewed by Anne Laure Camilleri; Chintz, Cotton In Bloom at the Fries Museum Wilhelminaplein, reviewed by Tilleke Schwarz; Inspiring Beauty: Fifty Years of Ebony Fashion Fair, The Textile Museum, Washington, reviewed by Rhonda Sonnenberg. 95 COMING NEXT The Substance Issue: where form and function collide. Emily Watts, Christien Meindertsma and more
SELVEDGE ('selnid3) n. 1. finished differently 2. the non-fraying edge of a length of woven fabric. [: from SELF + EDGE]
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