PLASTER OF PARIS (IDOL MAKING)
BY PRACHI SETHI NIHARIKA SONAVANE
Copyright Information This research is supported by National Insitute of Fashion Technology, Gandhinagar DAIICT Road, Near Infocity Gandhinagar 382007 Gujarat, India Website : http://www.nift.ac.in All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any other information storage and retrieval system without prior written permission from the publisher, author and subject to copyright laws. Book design by Prachi Sethi and Niharika Sonavane Type set : Orator Std , Helvetica Neue First Published in India in 2017
PLASTER OF PARIS (IDOL MAKING)
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY CRAFT CLUSTER INITIATIVE
NIFT with active support from the Ministry of Textiles, Office of Development Commissioner (Handlooms) and Office of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) has developed and implemented a new Craft Cluster Initiative Program which aims to provide the students with continuous exposure to the handloom and handicraft clusters, thus providing an opportunity for creative innovation and experimentation. Through this initiative, NIFT aims to reach out to the artisans and craftsmen at the grass root level. The artisans and craftsmen involved in the initiative will benefit through knowledge dissemination and exposure to urban markets and design intervention, innovative designs and linkages with new markets The Craft Cluster initiative at NIFT is designed with the objectives to sensitize NIFT students to the realities of the craft sector and give insight into regional sensibilities and diversities, resources and environment. Through this initiative, NIFT has been successful in creating a widespread awareness and sensitivity in assimilating crafts into fashion and vice-versa. The Craft Cluster Initiative program is envisaged to provide the students of NIFT systematic, continuous and regular exposure every year to the diversely rich and unique handlooms and handicrafts of India. The students at NIFT specialize in the areas of design, technology, management and communication. According to the specialization, students will be contributing in varied areas in the clusters like design intelligence, design innovation, product development, supply chain management, brand management, retail entrepreneurships, organizational development and systems design and development. The students will also contribute in the areas of process innovation, production planning, and research based improvisation and quality management. The students will assist artisans to develop distinct identity of the handloom and handicraft clusters through logo, promotional materials like posters, brochures and catalogues. The policy proposes in detail the guidelines to achieve uniformity across the NIFT campuses and all departments for implementing craft integration in the curriculum. The policy provides modalities which need to be followed, including budget heads conducting specific craft based activities and overall budget calculation and allocation.
The completion of this document would not have been possible without the cooperation and assistance of Mr. Mahesh Solankli and all the other artisans of Gulbai Tekra. Their contributions towards the field research are sincerely appreciated and greatly acknowledged. We would also like to express our deep sense of gratitude to Ms. Mansi Shah and Dr. Hir Vyas for encouraging, motivating and guiding us to do this project.
INTRODUCTION a brief introduction to the area of research
ETHNIC MAPPING An Ethnic tracking and study of the area of research : Gulbai Tekra
INTRODUCTION TO PLASTER OF PARIS A Brief introduction to the anatomy of the material
HISTORY History of the craft all around the world
IDOL MAKING History of the craft practiced in india
ARTISANS Story of the hands behind plaster of paris
69 73 89 99 105 113
13 15 29 37 43 53 RAW MATERIALS description of materials used in the making
PROCESS the making
CONTEMPORARY ADAPTATION a brief about rachel diem
SUSTAINIBILITY plaster of paris, a boon or a curse
STATISTICS AND SURVEY CONCLUSION
12
Ahmedabad is the largest city and former capital of Gujarat, which is a state in India. Gulbai Tekra, now popularly known as Hollywood is the centre of Plaster of Paris sculptures, with over 2000 families residing and practicing this craft over the last two decades.
13
14
ETHNIC MAPPING
15
16
The city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat is rich in culture and heritage. It is located at the bank of Sabarmati River. According to the Ninth Plan census, there are over 30,737 rural families living in Ahmedabad. Out of those, 5.41% live under the poverty line.
17 Portrait of a kid from Gulbai Tekra
“
Gulbai Tekra is a slum area in Ahmedabad. It was renamed “Hollywood” by the locals themselves around four decades ago because of the rural exquisiteness and glamour that they thought the women of the area possessed. It is a maze of narrow by-lanes and streets. Every lane tells a different story. The men and women here celebrate pure culture of Gujarat. Through heat and cold, the women of Gulbai Tekra, dress their bodies in colourful ethnic wear and wear their nose pins and grace their hair with a palu. The men have contemporised their clothing with cotton check shirts and pants but the women still prefer their ethnic clothing. The source of livelihood of most of the people in the area is sculpting Plaster of Paris sculptures and the women are involved in it too. Most of their day is spent in sculpting the idols and in day to day activities. Their life revolves around family and work. Gulbai Tekra has now become a hub of Plaster of Paris artisans throughout Gujarat. The beauty of the place lies within the culture, art and raw life of its people.
18
Portrait of a woman working on sewing machine.
19
20
21 An overview of the location.
“
There’s something satisfying about shaping something with your own bare hands.
22
“
mahesh solanki
(plaster of paris artisan)
23
A24 construction worker at Gulbai Tekra
25
26
The Artisans reside in very simple and compact houses constructed with bricks. The houses are filled with sculpting tools and idols. The living conditions are below average. Houses which can’t provide room for two, over ten to twelve people are clamped up. Hygiene and cleanliness are two important aspects which were missing.
27 Ramji Bhai describing his life at Gulbai Tekra.
28
INTRODUCTION TO PLASTER OF PARIS
29
“
Plaster of Paris is quick setting gypsum consisting of calcium sulphate hemihydrate, a white fine powder that hardens when moistened and allowed to dry. The name Plaster of Paris came into existence from the fact that it was mined extensively from Montmartre in Paris district of France. Plaster of Paris is an excellent medium for casting moulds since it generally does not shrink or crack when dry. It is commonly used to precast and hold parts of ornamental plasterwork placed on ceilings and cornices..
30 A Plaster of Paris sculpture by Jonathan Monk.
31
32
33 Texture.
34 A Plaster of Paris installation by Daniel Arsham.
Plaster of Paris is in powder form. Once mixed with water, Plaster of Paris turns into a thick paste. The material also becomes hard and starts to crystalise once blended with water. It is mainly white but can be coloured using paint. The material is fire proof and not very strong. Plaster of Paris is mainly used in the making of idols and sculptures. There is also an extensive use of it in the medical field. Orthopedics and dentistry are the two main segments of the medical world that make use of this medium. Architecture and interior design have extensive usage of it. Protective coatings are added of Plaster of Paris to walls and ceilings to make it more durable. It also adds an aesthetic finishing to buildings. Fresco paintings has Plaster of Paris too. Visual merchandising uses it to create contemporary props and centerpieces.
35
36
HISTORY
37
Evidences of Plaster of Paris can be found on the insides of Pyramids even though its use predates the industrial revolution. Gesso (usually made of the combination of plaster of Paris and glue) was applied to stone, wood panels, plaster or canvas to provide the ground for tempera and oil painting in the Medieval and the Renaissance. Plaster casts have been formative for many artistic movements such as Baroque and Neo-Classicism. From the beginning of the 15th century, casts had become a part of reserved collections of scholars, artists, aristocrats and royals in Europe. The replicas mainly constituted an early standard of what were considered as the chefsd’oeuvre of the ancient Greek and Roman world. The latter part formed the basis for the founding of the royal or courtly academies of arts, the first of which were several precursors of the later Académie des Beaux-Arts founded in Paris in the second half of the 17th century. Casts also enabled artists to study human anatomy and to learn “the idea of beauty.”
38
A sketch of Montmartre in Paris in the 18th Century by Israel Silvestre.
39
40
The low prices of casts also increased their accessibility for scholarly investigation in an academic context. The plaster guaranteed an authentic, or mechanically objective, one-toone copy; the cast assortments thus allowed for an equally objective reconstruction, comparison and classification of the ancient originals, which were housed by different collections throughout the world. As archaeologist Adolf Michaelis wrote in 1884: “such a (cast) museum is as necessary a supplement to archaeological lectures, as a laboratory is to lectures on physics or chemistry.” Museums in the 19th century with their encyclopaedic agenda hailed the casts since they presented the likelihood to fill breaches in the collections. Large public art museums in the United States, the incentive of which was primarily educational, at first relied totally on budget-friendly casts. In the early days of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, for example, trustees argued that it would cost too much money and time to assemble a valuable collection of originals. Simultaneously in the orthopaedics domain there was a need to immobilise the fracture to prevent pain and deformity and all the while allowing mobilisation. Splints made of bamboo and wooden sticks were used in the ancient times but they couldn’t be relied upon to hold the reduction. Different materials were tried like wax, starch, cardboard but they all ended in disappointment. This was the time Plaster of Paris was beginning to be used in construction and by sculptors, surgeons detecting its properties hit upon the idea of using it in orthopaedics. Patients with fractures in the long bones of leg were placed in long narrow wooden boxes and the gaps filled with Plaster of Paris. This was however bulky and alternatives were sought. The idea of incorporating Plaster of Paris in bandages was hit upon by two surgeons, Antonius Mathijsen and Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov in the 1850’s.
An Orthopedic Cast Image Courtesy : BetterHealth
41
42
IDOL MAKING
43
“
The unique characteristic of India is that the idol itself has religious significance. Idolatry means the worship of an idol, or the form of a physical image, such as a statue or icon. In India, an idol or an image is a living quintessence of God. It is not considered as a lifeless form but life is showered into every image or idol when it is reverentially worshipped with devotion. Devotion is considered as the true power. In Hinduism, idol worship or image worship refers to the worship of the names and forms or God or any divinity. Hindus accept idol worship as a modest way of voicing their faith, love and devotion to God. The reason for a market of Plaster of Paris is that people believe that bringing home an idol of the God is bring home their lord into their house. So, many Hindu houses and even shops have a small idol in them. They believe that the God protects them and keeps them safe along with bring them peace and prosperity in their lives. Another reason for the demand of idols is that India has a variety of festivals which involve buying an idol and worshipping it during an auspicious period. During this process, thousands of idols are immersed in water. This is where Plaster of Paris comes into the picture. Plaster of Paris is cheap, light, easy to mould. Sculptors in Ahmedabad start their preparation three to six months well in advance. During this period, their sale ranges between Rs. 30,000 and Rs. 50,000. On an average with lots of efforts, a sculptor can do a business of upto Rs. 1 lakh annually.
44
An Idol of Lord Ganesha.
45
46
An Idol in the Making. 47
48
According to the artisans in Gulbai Tekra, the process of idol making started in and around the year 1970 in Ahmedabad and Mumbai and then spread across the country of India. Plaster of Paris idol making is prominent even today in Ahmedabad and in many other cities of India due the light weight, low cost of production and the fast speed of production. Gulbai Tekra is the largest slum area in Ahmedabad, which is famous for making the Plaster of Paris idols. The artisans make Ganesh and Krishna idols in different forms according the experience and imagination. The most demanded and popular idols are of lord Ganesh, Durga and Krishna. The artisans are highly involved in producing different kinds of Plaster of Paris idols to supply to the local people and market needs. The idols of Plaster of Paris products are available both in traditional as well as contemporary designs. The products made are used for worship as well as decorations at home. Rubber-moulding technique is used produce Plaster of Paris idols. Vivid colours are used to paint the idol after retrieving from mould which enhances the attractiveness of the products. The young men and women are involved in making these idols. They supply Ganesh idols to Mumbai and many other places in Gujarat.
Hand of the Plaster of Paris sculpture of Lord Ganesha.
49
“
Art is not a 9 to 5 job. its much more than that.
50
“
ganpath bhai
(plaster of paris artisan)
51
52
ARTISANS
53
54
55 An Artisan at Work.
MANILAL BHAI SOLANKI AGE : 53 y/o
56
KISHOR BHAI AGE : 39 y/o
MAHESH SOLANKI AGE : 30 y/o
GANPATH BHAI AGE : 26 y/o
57
58
The hand of an Artisan at Gulbai Tekra.
59
“
Gulbai Tekra is a home to over a 2000 families. Every Ganesh Chaturthi the entire locality is blanketed with a layer of white snow, a result of the Plaster of Paris used by the artisans to carve the Ganesh idols. The tale originates in 1930, when the 88 year old Mota Dada - the eldest man in the settlement - shifted to Ahmedabad with his entire family from a village near Jaipur, Rajasthan. His village had been exhausted by a seven-year-long drought and when almost all was lost, he decided to move to Ahmedabad. He originally came from a family of marble sculptors, but since Gujarat had no reserves of marble or a market for the art, he began experimenting with clay and wood. However, they were either overpriced or had no durability and malleability, and he decided to try his hand with Plaster of Paris. As he settled in, he remembers the now hustling street of Gulbai Tekra to be empty. He was the only one living on the road, in his small hut made of bamboo and plastic sheets. The police would often question him, suspicious that he had stolen the idols from the temples nearby, as no one was used to seeing them anywhere else. He showed them the process and soon, the word of his skill spread. As more demand poured in from people in Ahmedabad during Ganesh Chaturthi, the population of the Basti also increased. Unfortunately the situation nowadays is that the artisans of this art form are suffering. Plaster of Paris is known to be hazardous to the environment. Even when idols of Plaster of Paris are submerged into rivers, the marine life suffers greatly and the rivers get polluted. The reason for this is Plaster of Paris itself is unsustainable and the materials and the paints that go as a coating on the idols are immersed into the rivers, lakes and the ocean. The plight of the artisans is correspondingly going unnoticed. The artisans are from very poor families with little to no other alternative income. As it is idol making is a seasonal occupation and so their incomes are neither regular nor secure.
60
A cot at the household of the Artisans.
61
62
The living conditions of these people are tragic. In terms of space, in an area for 4 people, an entire family of 15 people would be staying without any proper hygiene. People use public streets, corners and any available space as toilets and so the hygienic conditions in their homes is deteriorating. There is additionally no family planning and so even without any space to live or without any proper income; families are having 6 to 7 children each. This adds to the burden on these artisans, due to which this art form suffers gravely. Also the artisans do not have a separate work place for making these idols. The process of idol making is practised in the homes of these artisans. They use cheap paints which contains lead and so there are some serious health implications to the families. The children too don’t get any proper education and are left to play around on the streets all day. It is very evident that the even with such beautiful skills, the artisans and their families are suffering and are in a poor condition. 63 An artisan at work in Gulbai Tekra.
64 Young girls posing for the photograph.
65 Son of Mahesh Solanki (Artisan).
“
i want my children to be educated artisans
66
“
mahesh solanki
(plaster of paris artisan)
67
68
RAW MATERIALS
69
70
PLASTER OF PARIS WATER SILICON RUBBER MOULD FIBRE MOULD THERMOCOL AND COIR HAMMER TIRE TUBE STRIPS/CLOTH STRIPS CHISELS AND CARVING TOOLS SANDPAPER PAINT VARNISH KEROSENE BRUSHES 71 Plaster of Paris (Powder) in a sack.
72
PROCESS
73
9 : 00 AM To prepare the Plaster of Paris mixture, a ratio of two kilograms of the Plaster of Paris powder is mixed with a litre of water. The powder dissolves in the water and gradually sets and forms a uniform, smooth mixture with no lumps.
74
75
76
9 : 45 AM The mix is poured into the two halves of the rubber/ fibre mould. It is quavered to spread the mix consistently to complex the contours. The extra paste is removed and extra paste is poured into the mould to merger the mixture thicker.
77 Image Courtesy : Dsource.
12:30 PM The two halves are tied with tire tube strips or a strip of a cloth and then placed under sun light, for thirty minutes to an hour depending on the size.
78
79
80
1:30 PM The idol is ejected manually with extensive care by opening the two halves of the mould. The exposed idol is kept for drying for another 3 to 5 hours in direct sunlight to escape any defects.
Image Courtesy : Dsource.
81
5:30 PM The dfferent body parts of the idol are sculpted using clay and then attached together.
82
83
84
7:00 PM Beautifying the idol is done by using sandpaper to make the surface smooth. Various cavities are enhanced with the help of chisels and carving tools. Every fine detail of the idol is taken into consideration. Later the idols are adorned with paints of a varied range of bright colours to add to the richness to the sculpture.
85
“
We are humans trying to create the lord
86
“
manilal bhai solanki
(plaster of paris artisan)
87
88
CONTEMPORARTY ADAPTATIONS
89
RACHEL DEIN
90
Image Courtesy : Rachel Dein (website)
91
92
“
Rachel Dein makes plaster casts of plants and flowers that record all their texture, pattern, and delicacy in exquisite details. Her composition can be as simple as a single stem or as complex as a field of wildflowers, leaves, and grasses. Pendulous bleeding hearts, curly fiddleheads of ferns, and wispy poppies are some of her favourite flowers to cast. There is a memorial as well as a celebratory quality to these simple tiles and panels, for they preserve a fleeting moment of glory long after the plants have faded and died. They reflect Rachel’s interest in nature, its transience and tenacity. At art school, Rachel found her voice when she drew on a childhood memory of throwing a handful of melon seeds down the bathroom sink, only to discover, some weeks later, plants growing up through the overflow. “It seemed to encapsulate everything I wanted to express. It showed me how tough and tenacious nature is, which I found comforting,” she says. It was a lesson that she applied to her life as well as her art, helping her cope with the serious illness of a loved one.
Image Courtesy : Rachel Dien (website)
93
Combining her fascination with plants and sculpture, the works of Rodin and Andy Goldsworthy are her favourites. Rachel’s floral castings are tactile and sculptural. Her method, adapted from a glass-casting technique learned in college, is deceptively simple. Flowers and foliage are arranged and pressed onto wet clay. A wooden frame is then placed on the clay and the plaster is poured in and allowed to set. The magical moment comes when Rachel lifts the clay mould to reveal the plants in their plaster incarnation. It is as if the real plants are enfolded within the plaster casting. The movement of a stem, the fragile fold of a petal, the veins on a leaf, every detail is caught and held in poetic suspension. The physicality of the plants is transferred onto the plaster, every graceful line of a stem or curve of a petal inviting the impulse to touch as much as to look at them.
94
Image Courtesy : Rachel Dien (website)
95
“
sometimes literal recordings of life are the most elegant and honest of all depictions
96
“
rachel dein
(contemporary artist of plaster of paris)
97
98
SUSTAINIBILITY
99
Image Courtesy : Dawn.
100
Image Courtesy : GG2 Latest News.
101
102
In a country like India, idol worship is a very common practice. Idols are created from different materials like, stone, wood, jute, bamboo, clay and Plaster of Paris. Furthermore, to make these idols appealing, they are painted with synthetic colours or lead oxide mixed with oils which contain large amount of heavy metals. After the commercialisation of idol making, Plaster of Paris became a very popular in India. Ganesh Chaturti is one of the very widespread festivals celebrated across India, majorly in the state of Maharashtra. As a part of the ceremony, the idols are immersed in a natural water body. When an idol made of Plaster of Paris is immersed in the water, it changes its form to gypsum. This adds a hefty amount of material to the water that breaks down very gradually while also adding to the hardness of the water. It causes a major problem of sedimentation and has a slow impact on water body for an extensive duration of time. This not only deteriorates the life carrying capacity of the water but also its water. This in turns causes an irreversible environmental effect on the eco-system of any water body. Plaster of Paris changes physiochemical property of water, affecting both flora and fauna in the water body. Most paints used for decorating idols are chemical-based. The paints are mostly composed of heavy metals like mercury, cadmium and lead, which are nerve poisoning and nephrotoxic i.e a poison to kidneys. These metals are bio-accumulative. They enter various marine life forms and pass through the
Image Courtesy : LiveHindustan.
103
104
SURVEY AND STATISTICS
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
CONCLUSION
113
114
“
Our experience as young researchers on the field was both learning and challenging at the same time. The streets of Gulbai Tekra serves as a visual contrast to our eyes as we saw the artisans working through the thick and thin with ultimate faith and dedication to create Gods. The use of Plaster of Paris as a medium of art is debatable. The argument between sustainability and craftsmanship remains. The artisans of Gulbai Tekra have a commendable skill but Plaster of Paris still remains to be a hazard to the environment reducing the market for the artisans. A research to find a sustainable alternative for Plaster of Paris is necesssary because the level of craftsmanship that can be achieved with it is unsurmountable.
115
116
REFERENCES • N.p., 2017. Web. 21 Apr. 2017. • “‘Pop’ Idols Have Squeezed Ahmedabad’s Artisans’ Earnings | Latest News & Updates At Daily News & Analysis”. dna. N.p., 2017. Web. 21 Apr. 2017. • Baral, Prof. Bibhudutta. “Making Process”. D’Source. N.p., 2017. Web. 21 Apr. 2017. • “Bawre Of Gulbai Tekra”. Turjoy Chowdhury. N.p., 2017. Web. 21 Apr. 2017. • Bechtel, Martha. “Casting In Silicone Molds Using Plaster Of Paris And Wood Glue”. Martha.net. N.p., 2017. Web. 21 Apr. 2017. • “Cite A Website - Cite This For Me”. Dreamhomeguide.in. N.p., 2017. Web. 21 Apr. 2017. • Dein, Rachel. “Rachel Dein – Plaster And Concrete Artist | Botanical Art In Plaster And Concrete”. Racheldein.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 21 Apr. 2017. • “Effect Of Plaster Of Paris Waste And Sintering Temperatures On Physical Properties Of Pottery - Sciencedirect”. Sciencedirect.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 21 Apr. 2017. • Henry, Mike. “Natural Plasters | The Sustainable Home”. Thesustainablehome.net. N.p., 2017. Web. 21 Apr. 2017. • “The Designer: Gulbai Tekra Na Mota Dada”. kyoorius.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 21 Apr. 2017. • “What Is Plaster Of Paris?”. Telegraph.co.uk. N.p., 2017. Web. 21 Apr. 2017.
117
118
119