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Lot 57

 

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"To me peace, harmony and peaceful co-existence between man and man, or man and animal, became all important." - MANJIT BAWA

Bawa's striking paintings of imagined and real beings take liquid forms on monochromatic backgrounds. His deceptively simple and sensitive compositions, such as the present lot, draw from a range of mythological, religious, and visual traditions. Bawa's emphasis on human-animal interactions highlight his... "To me peace, harmony and peaceful co-existence between man and man, or man and animal, became all important." - MANJIT BAWA

Bawa's striking paintings of imagined and real beings take liquid forms on monochromatic backgrounds. His deceptively simple and sensitive compositions, such as the present lot, draw from a range of mythological, religious, and visual traditions. Bawa's emphasis on human-animal interactions highlight his lifelong interest in non-verbal communication and harmony between all living beings. "In Bawa's paintings, humans and animals engage in a wordless dialogue that throws its participants back onto an older, nearly forgotten language of instinct and intuition. Standing before these paintings, we realize that Bawa has long been preoccupied with the theme of a universal language of communication. How, he appears to ask, do humans and animals account for one another's presence, share their responses? Bawa's question unveils a deeper disquietude: how can two beings, who share the same physical environment but occupy separate mental universes, compare their respective experiences of the world?" (Ranjit Hoskote, Manjit Bawa: Modern Miniatures, Recent Paintings, New York: Bose Pacia, 2000)

Art historian Geeti Sen reinforces this notion, stating that, "This interaction between man and beast forms a vital undercurrent in all Bawa's paintings. It is significant that the meditational form in his canvas could be an animal, as much as it could be a human form or a demigod or a deity." (S Kalidas, Bhavna Bawa et al, Manjit Bawa: Let's Paint the Sky Red, New Delhi: Vadehra Art Gallery, 2011, p. 77) The lush green paddy field background and reference to the classic Krishna and cows in the present lot is Bawa's personal interpretation of the cowherd and her flock theme.

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