Books That Have Appeared So Far On The Art Of India Confine Themselves To Architecture, Sculpture And Painting. In The Present Work, The Coverage Has Been Extended For The First Time To Include Music, Dance And Handicrafts Too.The Weighty Reason For This Is That In Traditional India, Art Reflected And Further Strengthened An Integrated Living. Temple Architecture Generally Provided Halls For The Performance Of Music And Dance, For These Too Were Ways Of Worship. Some Of The Finest Indian Sculptures Have Dances As Their Themes. Siva, Deity And Dancer, Has Been Represented In Dance Postures And Gestures In Reliefs Which Are Veritable Manuals Of Dance Illustrated Through Sculpture. Music Parties And Dances Have Figured Repeatedly In Painting. As For Crafts, It Is Not Elitist Art That Makes Gracious The Daily Living Of The Masses But The Art Of The Artisan Who Streamlines Humble Articles Of Daily Use Into Timelessly Enduring Beauty.The Textual Outlines Conserve The Essential Contours Of The Historical Evolution Of These Arts And Familiarize The Reader With The Masterpieces Of The Heritage Which Have Been Illustrated To The Maximum Extent Possible.

'The fulfilment of a modern Indian artist's wish to be a part of a living tradition, i.e. to be individual and innovative, without being an outsider in his own culture, will not come of itself, it calls for concerted effort.' K.G. Subramanyan, the eminent Indian artist, offers a theoretical groundwork for that effort in his critical study of modern Indian art as it has evolved through continuous interaction with several traditions, foreign and indigenous. In the course of his study, he touches on the natural distinctions between India's folk tradition, and on the attempts of several thinkers and artists to identify an Indian artistic tradition or to deny it altogether in a quest for personal expression or universality. A generous selection of illustrations accompanies the text and greatly contributes to the enjoyment and understanding of Subramanyan's discourse.

"Waterlife features Mithila art, a vibrant delicate art form of folk painting from Bihar in eastern India. The artist Rambharos Jha grew up on the banks of the legendary river Ganga and developed a fascination for water and water life. In this book he creates an unusual artist's journal, adapting the motifs of the Mithila style to express his own vision. He frames his art with a playful text that evokes both childhood memory and folk legend."--Back cover.