The Bird on the Tree
Parekh’s art conjures a fabular world of the imagined village with roots in the traditions of Indian folk painting. The Bird on a Tree exemplifies her distinctive sensibility, as it hovers between genres and styles, bridging the traditional and the avant-garde with an appealing naivety and self-conscious surrealism. The Bird on a Tree is an elaborate work, with three black and white amorphous forms in the foreground against a rich and patterned background of fine lines and dots. The painting presents an ecstatic reverie of the natural world: Flora and fauna seem to have undergone wondrous transformations and protean creatures emerge from the net like patterned background, adding an element of mystery and charm. Besides Parekh’s own acknowledgment of Paul Klee as an inspiration, the picture suggests Joan Miró, Henri Matisse, and Kalamkari textiles. Commenting on her deeply secular imagery, Parekh has said: "I never pre-plan my work. I paint what comes naturally to me. The dotted lines in my paintings are like the running embroidery stitches which I used to do as a child. The vibrancy of the many things that surround me is the source of all my works. They represent different aspects of life as I see and experience. So, every work of mine tries to tell a story." [1]
[1] Giridhar Khasnis, "Accidental Artist," Deccan Herald, June 5, 2016.
[1] Giridhar Khasnis, "Accidental Artist," Deccan Herald, June 5, 2016.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Bird on the Tree
- Artist: Madhvi Parekh (Indian, born Sanjaya, Gujarat 1942)
- Date: 1975
- Medium: Oil and wax crayon on canvas
- Dimensions: 30 1/4 × 50 1/8 in. (76.8 × 127.3 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Gift of DAG, 2022
- Object Number: 2022.318
- Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art
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