Pravina Shukla’s Grace of Four Moons is a deceptively ambitious work. Most studies in body art (or material culture, for that matter) are much more narrowly focused (e.g., the types of the sari, production of jewelry, dress for specific rituals). This, by contrast, is a comprehensive study of body art in daily life. It constantly involves objects, of course--many types of clothing, jewelry, makeup--but the real focus is on the complex decision-making behind women’s appearances, and the cultural meanings of those decisions. Moving adeptly between makers, merchants, and wearers, Shukla illuminates the numerous choices made by these participants and the manifold ways they negotiate issues of gender, caste, religion, economic status, and region. Ultimately, she provides a logical system behind body art, one that explains its diverse manifestations.
Set in Banaras, a pilgrimage site for people from all over India, this study is unusual in that it explores the artistry inherent in daily life rather than just the exceptional or exotic moments in which body art is heightened (rites of passage, religious ceremonies, ethnic displays). The latter are much easier to study; artistry is intensified, and the boundaries are narrower and well defined. In fact, shaped by connotations of “fine art,” many art critics deny the possibility of art in daily activities. But here the focus is on the art inherent in the lives of contemporary, middle class, urban women and the ways in which their aesthetic standards operate within their daily routine, their families, and their dealings with the larger world.
Following the dictates of performance theory, Shukla also shows how individuals consciously manipulate prevailing aesthetic standards for very personal reasons. Her three main consultants exhibit very different attitudes toward body art. Nina might be described as a minimalist--she wears as little ornament as possible, prefers salwar suits to saris (which she deems uncomfortable and a bother), and asserts that beauty lies primarily in one’s qualities. Neelam might be termed a specialist--her focus is on clothing, particularly saris, and she wears little jewelry, in part because noisy bangles would prove a distraction in her work as an art teacher. Finally, Mukta loves all types of adornment, but she is careful to avoid current fashions in order to stand out from other women (in contrast to Nina, who desires to blend in). Tradition, then, is not a set of rigid principles that merely constrain behavior. As Shukla shows in considerable detail, tradition offers a general framework within which women are free to create assemblages of body art to fulfill personal as well as cultural needs.
Finally, Grace stands out from other works on material culture in that the author gives full attention to what might be termed the business of body art. Clothing and jewelry are not acquired in a vacuum; like other objects, they are made and sold in a complex process that includes makers and merchants (all men) as well as the customers. What is unusual here is the way Shukla details the men’s decisions--including what they actually choose to make or display--and the ways in which they ultimately affect what the women choose. In large part, this interaction is possible because of the relaxed, personal, leisurely selling process. In contrast to the American system, where exchanges are typically quick, anonymous, and purely economic transactions, a sales event in India may last for hours and include tea, snacks, and even meals. Through her extensive fieldwork with the key players, Shukla has captured the dynamics of these exchanges, all of them critical to the display of body art.
Altogether, Grace should appeal to students of folklore, anthropology, Asian studies, and art (though I suppose some professors of art will not find body art “fine” enough for their attention). In courses on material culture, we often cite the old trinity of food, clothing, and shelter. There are many works to choose from on foodways and most particularly, architecture, but inexplicably, the study of clothing remains less developed. What Shukla provides is a wide-ranging, well-grounded exploration of body art (a broader term than clothing) in contemporary life, one that should inspire similar inquiries into other cultures and traditions. While Banaras may appear somewhat exotic to Western eyes, her methods are no less applicable to other places, whether Lagos or Chicago or Osaka. The book is skillfully organized, written in a clear, jargon-free, unpretentious style, and illustrated with numerous color and black-and-white photographs. At the price of $34.95, it is a steal. And it is an outstanding first work by a most promising young scholar.
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[Review length: 753 words • Review posted on August 26, 2008]