Therefore, the convention in society has created a trend that artists are compelled to safeguard their intellectual property and this is a universal truth that prevails the world over. If all artists and so-called artists are truthful and honest there is no reason to protect and safeguard every personal intellectual property, because true art needs to be shared and experienced among the fraternity and in society with all sincerity.
Sometimes the personal intellectual skill in literature, performing arts and visual arts might have been used by appropriation with mischievous intent. Therefore, some art expressions may not be sincerely original and they might be used to further personal interest for fast and large material gain or notoriety. However, influence by elements in the surrounding or adaptation of other works is not wrong as long as the artist can incorporate original ideas and skill in the final output. The translation of Æesop’s fable by the celebrated Khasi poet, U Soso Tham, the adaptation of Biblical and secular English plays by Kenny Shympa, and the shadow play of Bashai Rai Dohling are outstanding examples that have enabled local flavour to alien cultures. They are original, creative, subsistence and vibrant works of art. In a similar situation, some imitation works gained tremendous impact on particular times and situations, while they fade away faster. The thinking power is providential and indefinite while physical power is limited to a certain capacity. The supernatural talent has a maximum intellectual skill that motivates the physical skill to perform, while the human ability has more physical skill to perform with negligible thinking. Humanity is a tool of God to create wonder with mortal capability.
There are performances that are complacent with a public appeal for pleasure and entertainment in the experience of their product. Most of these kinds of shallow materials made great public demand and commercial success because of raw public taste. Sometimes, simple delivery with conspicuous humour, but a quiet and forceful message made a similar impact across the wide level of intellectual capacity. Even as setting standards and judgement is not the prerogative of anybody; however, a certain acceptable taste of universal and liberal nature has to be established through reasoning and rational discussion among different people of diverse backgrounds. In such consideration, the reality of life with social responsibility should override conventional social morality. The lyrics of Bah Elken Swer are full of humour with a simple and powerful message for society, like the films of Charlie Chaplin. There is beauty in commerce as well, but not accumulating extravagant wealth or unscrupulous exploitation of resources and mindset. Jeebon Roy utilised his entrepreneurship talent, innovation and deep social concern more than his business skill to earn excessive material possessions. He was sad when the consequence of great misfortune occurred during one phase of his career, but he accepted life; he was not disheartened or depressed and was determined to try, try and try again. This is art temperament. Nevertheless, at this juncture, we are dealing strictly with visual art.
Origin: The myth about the origin of mankind in Khasi parlance has its role to establish the significant handiwork of the ancestors at Sohpetbneng peak. The scientific excavation and exploration at Sohpetbneng peak according to the book, Prehistoric Cultures Through The Lens of Archeology by Marco B Mitri established the ancient human civilisation and settlement within the Khasi territory. The anthropological site at Lawnongthroh on the northern slope of Sohpetbneng peak at the Raij Mawbuh in the Ri-Bhoi District of Khasi Hills, Meghalaya is located between 25° 72.253′ N and 91° 94.2635 E at an altitude of 1185-1200 metre above mean sea level. The excavation discovered a certain amount of cysts and cairns, mounds and cremation pyres, an enormous amount of stone tools, iron implements, iron slags and various other artefacts, which could substantiate and authenticate the theory of the ancient belief system.
The numerous works that were created through generations are hardly visible anywhere, except for the cairns and megaliths. However, the remnants at Rangjyrteh revealed the ancient metallurgy with folk technology that was prevalent in the past executed by the Khyndai Kamar (Nine Masons) and Khatar Kamar (Twelve Masons) at Rangjyrteh village, the crafts of the artist is considered to have been the identity handed over for generations, which can be perceived as the art created by the wholesome divine talent. Before deliberating on the main point, the primary purpose of that point must be aptly clear. The point of discussion should be understood first about the meaning of contemporary art or modern art. Obviously, the lay and ordinary people could not absorb the concept of contemporary art; it is also found that some of the highly educated persons and people with certain stature in society might be difficult to articulate and understand. That is not all, even scholars and academicians in other art and literary expression might not be able to properly communicate with modern art. The Khasi word for contemporary or modern art can be broadly termed as Ka Thohdur Mynta or just Thohdur Mynta. And the Khasi word for the visual artist is Barikor, which is different from a craftsman or an artisan.
The word Thoh in Khasi language is a metaphor for resourceful expression in every aspect of cultural and religious performances. The most significant is ‘Ka Jer Ka Thoh’ which means the naming ceremony, and ‘Thoh Shun’ relates with a wide range of salubrious actions usually called ‘Dud sakai’ or to shed any evil cast on human wellbeing. The potency of lime in Khasi culture is measured in terms of its natural curative properties and divine healing power. Certain elderly person or a shaman is believed to possess the power to perform some chants and prayers while rubbing the lime on their fingers and consecutively make gentle blows at the lime as the fingers keep rubbing the lime. The action is considered as spiritual intervention through the lime to shed away evil cast from the victim. Then the shaman would spew at the lime and apply it at the abdomen, usually with a circular mark around the navel followed by a cross mark. Some of the stomach ailments like gastric or constipation can be relieved instantly after such intervention. This is a curative application and for some preventive purpose is also applied on the temple of infants to protect from any evil cast or any such misfortune; even around the injured portion of the body of any person to prevent further inflammation. Moreover, ‘Thoh Shun’ also denotes any special privilege enjoyed by a person as in position, social status or any dispensation. For the ultimate situation of distinction it is termed as ‘Thoh Shun Ki Blei’ literally meaning ‘Marked by The Gods’. Therefore it is pertinent to emphasise on the word Thoh or Mark as differentiated from the word Tah or Ñiad, which means rub or smear respectively. To rub or smear with lime that is Tah Shun or Ñiad Umshun is a casual action, but to Mark with Lime is an action with a purpose. To rub lime on betel leaf to consume with betel nut or to smear lime water on the wall is different from marking lime on plants and stone, on human and animal bodies with prayers and chants that are considered sacred.
The tradition of the recent folk painting revealed that the word ‘Thohdur’ is the usual term in Khasi parlance, Thoh could refer to a painting and Dur means a picture. The earlier folk artists used organic substances to extract colour dyes for pictorial purposes. The natural colours are extracted from turmeric, charcoal, iron ore, varieties of colour herbs, and different pigments of earth colour, while egg yolk and lime are the medium for the mixture to derive different shades, hues and pigments. The colours are applied on the surface of the bamboo plaited mat surface, the bark of the betel nut tree and some type of dry thick leaves called ‘ladew. If this was the practice there should have been traces of images lying in some places, but there were none. The artistic temperament must have been developed in a few creative individuals and executed at their personal initiative. However, it never persists, because society is not inclined to appreciate or preserve and the belief system is prohibited to create simulated images, particularly those of people, ancestors and deities. The concept of indigenous faith forbids the worship of manmade images and the spirit of God is considered omnipotent and omniscient. Idol worship is considered sacrilege and blasphemy. Therefore, only symbolic images in various forms and patterns are found on handlooms, handicrafts and metallurgy. Most of these forms are primarily made for utility purposes and prevail in a wide range of crafted activities that involve logical and effective application skills rather than decorated motifs. Actually, there are innumerable elements of tangible and intangible concepts for image-making, particularly myth, legends and folklore; however, there are no traces of folk pictorial images that characterise Khasi identity. One can think of ‘Ka Jingkiengksiar U Lum Sohpetbneng’ in the picture of the golden bridge on top of the peak called the navel of heaven, then the ‘Diengiei’ in the picture of a mammoth tree trunk similar to that of the Hollywood movie ‘Avatar’; then ‘Ka Nam’ in the picture of flying maiden like Batman or Superman; then ‘U Klew bad Ka Sngi’, ‘U Syiar Khraw Jutang’ etc., with literal pictures of peacock and the sun, the rooster at the backdrop of sunrise etc. Most of these images could be both conceptual or realistic in treatment while they could convey thoughtful messages that may be interpreted in contemporary intellectual essence. It is surmised on contemporary evidence that there could be a long-lost tradition of image-making in Khasi culture. This is discovered in the Khasi folk architectural structure that indicated accurate scientific components. The house form is designed to comply with the climatic condition and is quakeproof; the construction of root bridges is executed to resist enormous amounts of weight, especially while carrying huge boulders for erection of monolith. The design of Khasi spade is typical of effective utility in the cultivation field; the lower cutting or digging blade is angular in shape to pierce the soil, while the upper edges are pointed on both sides to discard the unwanted weeds after digging the earth. These folk knowledge imply elaborated research and development of structural engineering technology. The future scholars can conduct further research for elaborate and authentic conclusions.
