Guided by no formal school, bound by no orthodox modus operandi, folk painting grows out of life and is sustained by life. Religious rituals, domestic beautification, familial celebrations, seasonal festivals are some of the inspirations behind the rise and growth of folk paintings in India. Gods and Goddesses, mythical figures, legendary heroes and glimpses of common man's life are the principal themes of folk paintings. Earthen colours were used in traditional folk paintings though currently synthetic colours are also in use. Usually the finery of folk painting is passed from one generation to the other. People belonging to a particular community assimilate the aesthetic and symbolic essence consciously or at times unconsciously by simply living in the milieu where the art is practiced.
From the vibrant colours of Patachitras to the monochromic simplicity of Warlis, folk painting in India has multidimensional facets. Form, colour, shape, and expression vary widely from region to region. However, the painting style and themes of particular regions have defied time and remained astonishingly static through the ages. This strong rooted nature of folk paintings that mocks the bending sickle of time can be traced back to its mythic archetypal nature. People vary largely in their opinion about the desired nature of folk art - should it adapt itself to modernity or should it rather churn out of traditional imagery?
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