Important Notice

"The mind moves through the object to the idea, and through the idea to the object. Thus, the work becomes concrete and abstract at the same time." - JAGDISH SWAMINATHAN

The present lot is from Jagdish Swaminathan's famous 'Bird, Mountain, Tree' series, which was born out of the artist's 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... "The mind moves through the object to the idea, and through the idea to the object. Thus, the work becomes concrete and abstract at the same time." - JAGDISH SWAMINATHAN

The present lot is from Jagdish Swaminathan's famous 'Bird, Mountain, Tree' series, which was born out of the artist's 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 simplistic nature of Swaminathan's work offers the possibility for a deeper interpretation of themes that are unique to each viewer. According to the artist, "What happens is that when you see a recognisable object, and notice it time and again, then you come to 'feel' its repetition." (Jagdish Swaminathan, art news & views, originally published in Hindi in Ravivar, 1979, online)

In these paintings, the artist often chose a warm colour palette, such as the bright yellow, mustard and fiery orange in the present lot. Divided into three panels, there is a tonal continuity in the composition, successfully evoking a sense of harmony. 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)

Read More
Artist Profile
Other works of this artist in: this auction  |  entire site