JAGDISH SWAMINATHAN (1928-1994)

Embracing the metaphorical quality of the Surrealists while preserving formal qualities of Indian miniatures, Swaminathan paints flat planes of bright color traversed by stylized mountains, trees, stones and an archetypal bird that defies gravity. In 1968, the artist began to fuse elements from nature in a conceptual manner, painting variations of this imagery over two decades. Referred to as The Bird, Tree and Mountain series, Swaminathan's mystical works of this period are luminous, meditative and suggestive, evoking formal facets seen in works by Paul Klee and Pahari miniature paintings.