2021 Commencement Exhibition

Saloni Shah

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Major Studio and Humanistic Studies (BFA)
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2021 Commencement Exhibition
Saloni Shah
The Calico Acts 2021 Screen Print on Wood with Stepper Motor 40 x 40 x 5 inches
The Calico Acts is a vibrant screenprint on wood split into three circular layers. The innermost circle showcases a bird flapping its wings in an attempt to escape the outer circles. The next layer depicts the British glazed imitation of Chintz and has bl + Enlarge
The Calico Acts is a vibrant screenprint on wood split into three circular layers. The innermost circle showcases a bird flapping its wings in an attempt to escape the outer circles. The next layer depicts the British glazed imitation of Chintz and has bl + Enlarge
The disassociation of Chintz over time from its origin is narrated in this piece in the form of animation. The popular fabric was exported from India throughout Europe however, with the fear of losing profits in their own country, the British Raj banned Chintz and went on to imitate the process, leaving the Indian textile industry in ruins. The design continues to appear in works of well-known British designers while the Indian textile industry still lives to be tainted by the past. Each circle offers a glimpse at one moment in this troubling timeline.
Saloni Shah
Chintz to Chintzy 2021 Screen Print on Wood Spiral 28 x 28 x 6 inches 
Chintz to Chintzy is a vibrant screenprint on a wooden spiral that stretches outward from the wall. The piece consists of warped motifs of flowers, branches, and birds. The center has a small white circle which then blends into the surrounding pattern. + Enlarge
Chintz to Chintzy is a vibrant screenprint on a wooden spiral that stretches outward from the wall. The piece consists of warped motifs of flowers, branches, and birds. The center has a small white circle which then blends into the surrounding pattern. + Enlarge
Chintz to Chintzy is a vibrant screenprint on a wooden spiral that stretches outward from the wall. The piece consists of warped motifs of flowers, branches, and birds. The center has a small white circle which then blends into the surrounding pattern. + Enlarge
Once, the fabric was banned and the British imitation of Chintz became popular, the cheap raw material was imported from India to the UK. After the fabric was printed and assembled, the same cloth would be sold back in the Indian markets at an inflated price, robbing the fabric belonging to that community.
Saloni Shah
The English Aesthetic Movement?  2021 Screen Print on Wood 25 x 25 inches 
The English Aesthetic Movement? is a vibrant screen print wood consisting of two layers. The first layer portrays imagery of delicate flowers and birds while the second layer employs bold laser-cut flower motifs. While there is a distinct difference in th + Enlarge
The English Aesthetic Movement? is a vibrant screen print wood consisting of two layers. The first layer portrays imagery of delicate flowers and birds while the second layer employs bold laser-cut flower motifs. While there is a distinct difference in th + Enlarge
The English Aesthetic Movement? is a vibrant screen print wood consisting of two layers. The first layer portrays imagery of delicate flowers and birds while the second layer employs bold laser-cut flower motifs. While there is a distinct difference in th + Enlarge
The piece studies the transformation of Chintz after the ban of the fabric in the UK. Many artists and designers such as William Morris protested the industrial process that had replaced the role of the hand in the production of these fabrics. The Arts and Crafts movement began revitalizing these more intricate techniques however the clear ties to the original Chintz have been lost in history. This erasure must be acknowledged as this pattern continues to emerge in the contemporary world.
Saloni Shah
White-Washed 2021 Screen Print on Wood 25 x 25 inches 
White-Washed is a vibrant screen print on wood. The center of the circle features blocks of bold solid colors which then dissolve into the warped design surrounding it consisting of flowers and birds. + Enlarge
White-Washed is a vibrant screen print on wood. The center of the circle features blocks of bold solid colors which then dissolve into the warped design surrounding it consisting of flowers and birds. + Enlarge
White-Washed is a vibrant screen print on wood. The center of the circle features blocks of bold solid colors which then dissolve into the warped design surrounding it consisting of flowers and birds. + Enlarge
Following the rise in demand for this vibrant fabric, the motifs slowly began to shift to cater to the European market. The designs became more "romantic" and "exotic' featuring combinations of birds and flowers from all over Asia in a mismatched narrative.
Saloni Shah
Calico Craze 2021 Screen Print on Wood with Molding Paste 10 x 10 inches
Calio Craze is a vibrant screenprint on wood separated into four different circles, each a different color. The piece has raised segments in the shape of birds that blend into the design. The imagery is a rough collage of different Chintz fabric, combinin + Enlarge
Calio Craze is a vibrant screenprint on wood separated into four different circles, each a different color. The piece has raised segments in the shape of birds that blend into the design. The imagery is a rough collage of different Chintz fabric, combinin + Enlarge
Calio Craze is a vibrant screenprint on wood separated into four different circles, each a different color. The piece has raised segments in the shape of birds that blend into the design. The imagery is a rough collage of different Chintz fabric, combinin + Enlarge
Following the rise in demand for this vibrant fabric, the motifs slowly began to shift to cater to the European market. The designs became more "romantic" and "exotic' featuring combinations of birds and flowers from all over Asia in a mismatched narrative.
Statement

* Saloni Shah is a General Fine Arts + Humanistic Studies Major.

The Fabric that was Banned

“A tale of armed trade, colonialism, slavery, and the dispossession of native peoples.”

- Dr. Sven Beckert

 

Chintz - the Indian fabric popularised for its vivid colors is tinted with a distressing history of transformation and disassociation which is largely neglected. The popular fabric was widely exported from India throughout Europe, however, with the fear of losing profits and protests from locals in their own country, the British Raj banned Chintz and went on to imitate the process. This fabric was stripped of its history and manipulated to be purposefully exotic, leaving behind a trail of suffering for the Indian craftsmen and economy. Nuanced iterations of the iconic motifs continue to emerge in mainstream Western media yet their origins are still extensively disregarded.

“The Fabric that was Banned” renders this transformation using the motif of a bird to narrate this story of entrapment. The work employs and builds on imagery of traditional Chintz contrasted with the English glazed replicas and modern iterations to showcase this timeline and the subsequent shift in power. Each piece focuses on a particular portion of the timeline, combining to form a continuous story unearthing this erasure.



Studio and Humanistic Studies (BFA) Students
Annie Braunschweig
Corinne Gregson
Ethan Wong - not exhibiting
Saloni Shah

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