Important Notice

Jagdish Swaminathan's artistic vision eschewed Western influences and instead looked inwards in search of a unique Indian expression. In this quest, he began exploring ancient totemic symbols to connect modern Indian art with the historical past, and gradually his geometric shapes gave way to natural motifs. The present lot is from his famous 'Bird, Mountain, Tree' series, which was born out of his need to return to a pure form of his subjects.... Jagdish Swaminathan's artistic vision eschewed Western influences and instead looked inwards in search of a unique Indian expression. In this quest, he began exploring ancient totemic symbols to connect modern Indian art with the historical past, and gradually his geometric shapes gave way to natural motifs. The present lot is from his famous 'Bird, Mountain, Tree' series, which was born out of his need to return to a pure form of his subjects. This series, which occupied him for over two decades, plays around with the titular subjects in many variations, forming a singularly unique composition each time. The art critic Rudolf von Leyden observed that by repeating the same combination of subjects, Swaminathan had almost perfected his composition.

In these paintings, Swaminathan often chose a warm colour palette, such as the fiery orange in the present lot. There is a tonal continuity in the way the three subjects are represented, successfully evoking a sense of harmony in the overall composition. An interesting addition to this canvas is the stairway, which Swaminathan has articulated in bold red and black. He juxtaposes the colours of the stairway with the pale inverted mountain, creating a sense of duality. In the placement of these objects, Swaminathan plays with notions of reflection and shadow, thereby raising questions about existence and perception. As Krishen Khanna notes, "[Swaminthan's] structures were elemental, uniquely his own. He conjugated them to create undreamt of images. Hills, birds, insects, plants, water, air, unbuildable buildings but no human beings. Their relationship on the canvas had nothing to do with the laws of this physical world... A rock suspended in mid-air with a sleek bird atop of it, a mountain reflected in a lake which leaves you guessing as to which is which, and steps on a monument leading nowhere." (Krishen Khanna, J Swaminathan: Contemporary Indian Art Series, New Delhi: Lalit Kala Akademi, 1995)

The simplistic nature of Swaminathan's work offers the possibility for a deeper interpretation of themes that are unique to each viewer. "Let us assume the objects are painted to be mere props for revealing the idea; the objects in themselves have relevance only as agents and not as themselves... Thus, the work becomes concrete and abstract at the same time." (Jagdish Swaminathan, "The Traditional Numen and Contemporary Art," Lalit Kala Contemporary Number 29, New Delhi: Lalit Kala Akademi, 1980, p. 11)

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