Love is Blind – Color-Blind | A Lesson in Love & Textile Art

When one studies and examines an object as often as one breathes, it is hard to be blind to its flaws.

But yet, with a little insight & imagination, it is possible to step beyond the flaws and focus on other aspects of the object.

And then, the beauty of the object reveals itself.

**

I came across a piece recently that had faded with age and I cried for the colors that have abandoned the cloth.

But the patterns the motifs were pretty and attracted me and stayed on my mind.

It took patience and drive to keep digging through the surface dust that said – ‘this is worthless’. After all the diamond that *might* lie beneath may just be a stone ….

It took me awhile to decide between rejecting it for the colors and accepting it for its pattern. Finally with some reluctance, I accepted it.

**

Today whilst working on the photos, in a moment of unexpected ingenuity, I converted the photo to Black & White to eliminate the color that was its major flaw.

And WHAT a transformation!

The visual takes my breath away. I could finally *see* only the patterns to which I was attracted in the first place. No more distraction from the faded color. Just a pure vision of its beauty!

Presenting belowis the object that taught me this lesson of love:

An antique cotton Shekhawati Odhana from the Bishnoi community of Rajasthan embroidered all over.

What a stunner! What a work of Art!

And to think that I almost rejected it!

Sometimes love needs to be blind!

jm

March 2014