INTERIOR

DESIGNING

REPORTS ON DESIGN DESIGN AND DECORATION CRAFT STYLE ARTS AND CRAFTS OF RAJASTHAN

SUBMITTED BY RAVI PRAKASH 2008 UAR 140 B.ARCH. 5th SEMESTER

DESIGN
Design is basically a well shorted process of finding a solution for a problem that must include the questions, Is the Product (Design) really needed? Does it fulfill that need? And how it is better than the older one? It is iterative, meaning that proposed solutions are refined through repeated cycles of evaluations. Its a rational, logical, sequential process intended to solve problems. It is something which serves a purpose. It is a process that begins with the identification and analysis of a problem or need and proceeds through a structured sequence in which information is researched and ideas explored and evaluated until the optimum solution to the problem or need is devised. It is turning a concept into something that's desirable, feasible, commercially successful and adds value to people's lives. Design involves finding solutions that fit the user, task, and context of use.

A discipline that explores the dialogue between products, people, and contexts, which focuses on optimizing the function, value and appearance of physical objects. A process that defines a solution to help people achieve their goals, must balance a variety of considerations, including the needs and goals of the users, the constraints imposed by the context of use, and the challenges that arise naturally; to come up with solutions. An artifact produced as the result of solution definition.

Design is fundamental. It is in everything, from your bedroom to car in your garage to the table in your class to your cricket bat. A design doesn't have to be new, different or impressive to be successful, as long as it's fulfilling a need, but design methods do lead to innovative products and services.

DESIGN AND DECORATION

We often get confused in the terms the DESIGN and the DECORATION, But both are different in many ways. Design is an objective aspect which comes as a solution for a problem after a long process of evaluations, includes a thoughtful list of instructions whereas decoration is subjective aspect which comes as secondary element after Design. Decoration is like giving aesthetics to an object, or a space or anything without altering its design, concerns only with its physical appearance. Design always precedes Decoration. Design is always functional but the Decoration doesnt serve any function. Creating a flexible and comfortable space is a part of design, and applying wall finishes, paints, fabrics, wallpapers, flooring, lights and all the ornamentations are the part of decoration which only beautifies the space without affecting the functionality of the space. Decoration can last for short span or long span too. It can be changed with the time, with the trends and style but in all conditions the functionality of design remains unchanged. A design can also serves as decorative element along with functionality but a decoration can never be termed as design as it has no concern with functionality. So design always leads and decoration is to follow. For a space, if we concern it as a body we can say decoration is the skin n design is the soul which regulates all its activities.

CRAFT
Craft is a practice that embraces in its domain a set of skills unique to a/or set of materials employing a certain level of technique/technology to achieve a work of art that can be mass produced. While creating a craft the maker has to perform an intellectual and physical activity which explores the infinite possibilities of materials and processes to produce unique objects. It requires some particular kind of skilled work. It can be about experimentation, innovation and change. It requires aesthetic judgments. It is associated with materials and methods of making. It has to be executed at large scale. It has an aesthetics of surface, body and edge that relates to the material and tool choices made by the artisan. Craft objects need not be strictly utilitarian. Many artists create objects that may reference function, but are not actually useable. A common such form is the teapot. While many handcrafted teapots are indeed useable, a great many are not.

Craft of a particular place is related to its culture and traditions.

The water pot made of sand called Matka used to keep drinking water in Rajasthan is craft because it is produced and used at large scale, and its production includes some set of skills and techniques and it is also related to the culture and traditions of here, as paintings on its outer surface changes place to place. And in many places it is used as decorative element along with its functionality as it keeps water cold. And in this way it becomes a very good example as a craft.

Each maker works in a different way. The materials they use can include metal, fiber, wood, glass, resin and clay. Skillfully employing a range of techniques they create a variety of stunning objects which can be functional, decorative or both .Craft is what happens when a person with imagination and skill has the opportunity to be creative.

STYLE
Basically style is the way in which something is said, done, express, or performed. A style might be the expression or concept of a particular individual or a mass, and might also be a pattern which has been imposed or forced onto a society through different means, such as needs, or constraints. Style is basically presenting or representing an existing thing or a new one, which have something unique in it. Style can be given by any medium like color, patterns, textures, themes etc. Style always follows the circular path as style that is presently in demand will soon replaced by a new one but it will come again in use after a specific interval of time in that manner on rotating itself. It has a list of followers. And it needs a vehicle to propagate. It can vary from time to time to suit the subject. The Jeans people wearing all over the world was first basically made for the cow boys, because they needed some rough and tough clothes that suits to their profession, but the thing got fame and became the choice of every one and a trademark universal style, but still it symbolize the image of cowboys, but not everyone is a cowboy. Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture. Architectural style is a way of classifying architecture that gives emphasis to characteristic features of design, leading to a terminology such as Gothic "style".

ART AND CRAFT OF RAJASTHAN Rajasthan is among the richest state in the country as far as the fields of arts and crafts are concerned. Rajasthan has created and preserved rich craft heritage which includes fabulous fabrics in lovely prints, precious and semi-precious stones, Kundan Meenakari Jewellery, embroidered leather work, other hand crafted items of wood, ivory, lac, glass, and brass, silver and gold. Carpets and Dhurries

The hand knotted woolen carpets of Tonk, Bikaner, and Jaipur are generally based on Persian styles. The traditional cotton durries of Jaipur, Jodhpur are mostly in pastle shades with geometrical motifs design. Stone carving

From Dholpur near Bharatpur to Barmer in the heart of the desert, the chisel of the stone mason is put to incredible use as he commands everything from pink and red sandstone to marble, tamara and chlorite to create panels of frescos for buildings, large statuary, planters, figures of gods (usually in marble and crafted almost entirely in Jaipur), and elephants and horses as garden sculpture. Jaipur specialises in making white marble statues of gods and goddess.

A STONE FOUNTAIN

Puppets Puppets are an ancient and popular form of folk entertainment. No village fair, no religious festival and no social gathering in Rajasthan can be complete without Puppets. With their sparkling eyes and brightly colored dresses, the kathputlis, gives unforgettable experience.

Leather Ware Leather is also an essential raw material for making musical instruments such as the tabla, dhol, kamaycha. These instruments are used by Rajasthani folk musicians. The world fame jootis are made from leather having artistically embroidered uppers. These are incredibly comfortable and sturdy. Jaipur, Jodhpur, Barmer and Jaisalmer are traditionally known for this footwear. Bikaner is known for its painted lamp shades, shields and vases made from camel hide .Designer hand-bags, purses, belts, hats, stools and collapsible chairs with graphic embroideries made from leather at Tilonia village near Ajmer is also example of good craft man ship.
A PAINTED LEATHER NOTEBOOK

Textiles and Fabrics

Tie-and-dye textiles, called bandhej or bandhani are an important Rajasthani craft. Different methods are used to tie the fabric into small points and produce various patterns like lehariya, mothda, ekdali and shikari. The best bandhej comes from Sikar and Jodhpur, while Jaipur, Barmer, Pali, Udaipur and Nathdwara are the other centers. Zari and gota are lavishly used in bridal and formal costumes. One can pick up saris or even cushion covers with this elaborate metallic thread embroidery.

A COTTEN FABRIC SKIRT AND A SILK FABRIC BLAZER

Pottery Blue Glazed Pottery famous in Jaipur was introduced to India by the Muslims and popularised by Maharaja Ram Singh of Jaipur. The pottery is made of ground quartz stone, fuller`s earth and sodium sulphate instead of the simple clay. Blue and white are the traditional colours used though; more recently, yellow, pink and green are also being used. Most pieces are hand-painted with conventional floral patterns, figures of animals and scenes from the lives of the royal families. Terra-cotta pottery Molela, a village to the north of Udaipur specialises in making these images. Alwar produces paper thin pottery, Bikaner is famous for painted pottery, tinted with lac colours, while white and red clay articles with geometric designs come from Pokharan.

Paintings Miniature paintings, portrait and courtly paintings, murals, cloth and furniture painting, mehndi or henna, domestic painting and mandana or the art of decorating houses are some of these. Jaipur, Jodhpur, Nathdwara and Kishangarh are some of the centres still engaged in this art form. Of course, there are other forms of painting available too such as the phads or scrolls with their tales of Pabuji, and the pichwais with their Krishna legends. The centre for the best pichwais is Nathdwara, near Udaipur, where the paintings are often decorated with precious stones.
A MUGAL WOMAN

Palaces, Havelies, even huts are commonly having Walls and ceilings covered with colorful paintings in Rajasthan. Some of the finest paintings can be seen in havelis of the Shekhawati region and the ancient towns of Bundi and Kota. And some of the most humorous on the walls of houses tucked away in the lanes of Jaisalmer.

QUEEN ON ELEPHANT RIDE

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Furniture

JENY WITH SLOPE

WOODEN CABINET WITH DRAWER

The furniture of Rajasthan is in harmony with its palaces and havelis, displaying similar intricate design and carving. The painted furniture of Jodhpur and Kishangarh consists of screens, doors, traditional caskets, doors, traditional caskets, low tables and chairs. Delicately carved wooden doors are made in Ramgarh, Shekhawati and Bikaner.

The craft men of Barmer specialize in the art of wood carving, and tables. Tilonia furniture stands out with its fine embroidery work on leather while white metal plated Patra furniture has a charm of its own.

CHOWKI WITH ENAMELLING

Jewellery and Gemstones Rajasthan is rich in jewellery, each area having its own unique style. Some of the traditional designs are rakhri, bala, bajuband, gajra, gokhru, jod, etc. tribal women wear heavy, simply crafted silver jewelry. Men also wear ornaments in the form of chockers and earrings. Jaipur is famous expert centre for precious and semi-precious gem stones. Rajasthan excels in a wide range of ornaments-using Emerald, Daimond, Pearls, Garnet, Agate, etc. made especially in Jaipur and Jodhpur.

TRADITIONAL LAKH PENDENT SET

A SILVER BRACELET

Meenakari is the art of enamelling on gold or silver and is done in Jaipur using the raised-field style. Kundan is the art of setting precious stones in gold. There is a large variety of bangles in Rajasthan. Consequently, all manner of precious and semi-precious stones can be purchased in Rajasthan.
HOOP SILVER EARING WITH GEMSTONE

Embroidery It is an ancient craft, which has changed over time to reflect the prevailing social, material and sometimes even the political mood of the times. The needles on different cloths do the `embroidery` work. The women of Rajasthan are expert in this field and can make very attractive embroidery works on various clothes like in quilts, skirts (gharries), shawls, bed covers and in many more others.

ZARI METALLIC THREAD EMBROIDERY

The most particularly ornamented fabrics and articles found in Rajasthan are often those for personal adornment. In Rajasthan, some form of embroidery invariably embellishes the three garments worn by women, the kanchli, ghaghra and odhni. Similarly men`s garments like the angarkha, achkan and jama also display certain elements of embroidery. It is also used to beautify the household items, like bedspreads, wall hangings and animal KAZAKH RUG CHAIN STITCH EMBROIDERY trappings. Where embroidery is done for domestic use, it is by custom a feminine occupation. Rajasthani Men, traditionally, were involved in embroideries like zardozi and danka. These crafts receive the patronage of royal families even today.