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124.5 by 124.5 cm. (49 by 49 in.)

Signed and dated 'J.Swaminathan/ 74' on reverse and further signed and dated in Devanagari, titled Udghosh on original India Triennale label on reverse

Oil on canvas

EXHIBITED

Exhibited at the Lalit Kala International Indian Triennale, the Third Indian Triennale 1974

NOTE

In the 1960s Swaminathan left journalism and became a professional painter. In reference to his early works, Isana Murthy states "Swami's greater contribution was in giving Indian sources a contemporary validity and visual identity. His use of flat colours and spaces in his early work is reminiscent of the Indian miniature and I cannot recall anyone before Swami using the vivid Indian yellow in the manner he did."

The artist states "In the 60s I made a 180 degree switch in my painting. I tried to probe the relation of colour to space and after a study of pahari miniatures did a series called the Colour of Geometry of Space. After the colour geometry show I entered the now famous phase of the bird, the mountain, the tree, the reflection of the shadow and it lasted for quite a while... " The current work is an example from this famous phase and demonstrates Swaminathan's ability to select and dematerialise images from nature to express a spiritual sentiment, with the bird signifying infinite space and the mountains a symbol of ascent and eternity.