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The City
What we regard today as tradition is itself the product
of a continuous evolution . . . Tradition is not static, it does not mean being caught in the past. Tradition can also be movement . . .
to be creatively alive, society must mould the future out of its own experience. It must recognise the difference between mere imitation
and assimilation. You cannot be a gardener if you collect
only potted plants.
The cities of India grow and change at a rate that challenges the notion of a "timeless" civilization. Each
has its own character, but all are now linked by the rhythms of popular music, cinema and global consumerism.
The camera, lithography and sound recording continue to flourish in India. Their history is a complex story of both continuity and
change in the arts. The vitality and volume of the arts of the city have had a profound impact on aesthetics in India and in all the places where
people of Indian origin live.
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