2. Do it yourself - Butterfly!

This is one of the best images from an ephemeral arts project created during one of the festivals. Created by Madhumita Bose who used petals, small flowers, leaves, coloured rice, sawdusts and sand to fill in a large drawing of the butterfly. For better effect we could have given her a white board to work with! That would have also made the work very portable. Some artists use a thin colourless glue to stick the materials to the board, thereby creating a more longlasting work. But remember, if it lasts for ever it's not ephemeral! The work is a variation of an Indian artform known as Rangoli. But many communities use the floor as the 'medium for expression' and draw patterns which are then filled with colours and materials. Simple.
The website www.ephemeralarts.com provides further examples of rangoli. Do you have a description of a floor art or a picture that you would like to be featured in this blog or our website? Please contact me by email: kalwant.ajimal@btinternet.com

1. Introduction to Ephemeral Arts

Definitions and the expression of Ephemeral arts

Ephemeral arts are temporary or short-lived, based on a specific occasion or event and transitory in nature.

Examples are arts related to the cultural calendar- marking New Year, harvest, change of seasons, religious festivals, events in people’s lives, major events in folk traditions.

Ephemeral arts can be expressed by using the simplest of means and materials to the most complicated designs. The artistic expression can involve a few people or thousands. Most Ephemeral arts are based on artistic expression involving drawing, painting, making things, decorating and dedicating peoples’ homes.

Ephemeral arts invariably use natural materials- sticks, grasses, shells, sand, leaves and petals, nuts, fruits, beans, lentils, rice and ground materials to make special powders.

Ephemeral Arts are celebrated internationally, and in all cultures. Many of the Asian arts described here have British, European, Far Eastern, African and South American equivalents! The blog and the related Festivals, and the website are aimed at celebrating commonalities between cultures.

My aim is to

1. help you to make use of our research and experience to develop your own projects
2. suggest how the website can be used to help with your study and enjoyment of the subject
3. attract proposals from you on further areas for collaborative projects
4. guide students and teachers to access resources for formal study linked with school projects
5. invite senior students and their teachers to consider working on the thematic aspects of the ephemeral arts and to develop new schemes of their own.
6. provide access to our resource packs and touring exhibition. Please also see www.ephemeralarts.com

A more formal programme for educational use will also follow. It is designed for universities, secondary school teachers, senior artists and communities.