Tribal painters, Gujarat 1978

Curator: This photograph by Jyoti Bhatt, titled "Tribal painters, Gujarat" was captured in 1978. The gelatin silver print presents a fascinating insight into a community engaged in creating art. Editor: It’s so wonderfully raw. The monochrome gives it this timeless, almost dreamlike quality. There's a sense of hushed reverence, don't you think? A quiet hum of activity. Curator: Absolutely. Looking at the print itself, it is striking to consider the labour involved, the coordination in communal artwork. This is not about the isolated genius in their studio. It highlights how artistic practices can be so deeply interwoven with social structures. Editor: I’m drawn to the textures. The rough-hewn ceiling, the folds in their clothes, the very grain of the wall they are painting on. It all feels so tangible. I can almost smell the earth, the paints, and feel the heat. What kind of paints do you think they might be working with? Curator: More than likely pigments derived from the immediate environment. Ground minerals, charcoal, perhaps plant extracts – local resources that connect the artwork directly back to the land. Think about the implications regarding accessibility. These images are quite possibly for use within their own living spaces. Editor: The shapes that are being created on the wall are rather elemental aren't they? The sort of visual language you see echoing through cultures and time. You know, these stark black and white photographs feel incredibly current. Perhaps this stems from that need to create images, narratives, to tell stories to keep one another tethered. Curator: Precisely! Bhatt’s lens invites us to consider the materials used, their provenance, and the networks of exchange. It opens a window onto how art manifests not just as a finished product, but as a continuous process embedded within a specific place. Editor: I love how this image lets me travel through time and see the artist's breath as they touch their own canvas. Thank you, Jyoti Bhatt, for helping create the kind of cultural artifact that holds more than it shows.