বাংলাদেশের লোকশিল্প মার্কিন গেবেষকের দৃষ্টিতে | The Folk Art of Bangladesh From the point of view of an American researcher

Abstract

Art and Life in Bangladesh written by Henry Glassie is a very significant book published in United States of America. The book was published by Indiana University, 1997. Art and Life in Bangladesh, a 511 page book contains an extensive bibliography, footnotes, infograph, summary as well as hundreds of photographs. The writer himself did the works of inner design, map, tables and even the cover. This article aims to introduce the book in detail for interested readers. It also interprets the contextual and theoretical perspective of the writer and the modern laborious process of 10 years he had engaged in completing this book. Henry Glassie marked the variations in evolution and reformation of historic pottery art in Bangladesh. He studied the spiritual context of the pottery artists' mind and their worldview to identify their traditional mindset and individual talent. To satisfy has own realization, Glassie got deeply involved to the community and conducted his field survey by following both observation and participation method. Glassie organizes his work on a philosophical and ideological backdrop after determining the universal and local cultural, geographic and popular nature of the target area. This approach demands frequent interaction with the informants and folk artists, consequent documentation of the process of their work, taking photograph, continuous dialogue and establishing friendly relationship. Henry Glassie, for the sake of his research visited Bangladesh many times and went up to Dhamrai, Savar, Noyarhat, Shimulia, Rupshi, Demra, Zinzira by local bus or even on foot neglecting unbearables and rain. The book basically put light on the art works of greater Dhaka district-pottery, brass works, rickshaw painting, truck painting, and architectural glory of the mosques and so on. This essay introduces the readers with other works and area of knowledge of Henry Glassie in a very sophisticated Bangla prose style.