PAINTING IN ORISSA

The history of painting in Orissa starts with the rock-shelter paintings and continues upto the present day. Some of the rock-shelter paintings, as at Vikram Khol do not, in the strict sense conform to painting for these are engraved forms on rock surface filled in with colour. It is not correct to term all the rock shelter paintings of Orissa as pre-historic, because there are certain historic paintings as at Manikmada which can be dated to the early historic period (300BC-100AD). Apart from the rock painting sites there are several drawings, cut marks resembling figures on rock surfaces at Digapahandi and Bramapur in the district of Ganjam and other places. However, with the available information, it can be asserted that Orissa can be grouped with other pre-historic paintings site of India like Singhanpur, Bhimbhetka, etc.

The tribal paintings and the folk paintings, only with varying social affiliations, justify the continuation of rock shelter painting tradition. But the continuum is disassociated from the original context of rock shelter paintings and is more of a decorative nature mixed with rituals. Though not forming a part of classical painting tradition, the tribal and folk painting contain several motifs which constitute the classical art tradition. This process of influences and cross influences not only exists among tribal, folk and classical paintings but also extends to the realm sculpture. This proves that no painting tradition has grown in isolation and Orissan painting is no exception to it. It has emerged out of the common Orissan art tradition which have existed from hoary past.