Untitled 1971

Curator: Looking at this vibrant watercolor drawing titled "Untitled" by Jagdish Swaminathan from 1971, I am struck by the deceptive simplicity of it all. Editor: Yes, immediately, it has a peaceful feel, but I find myself far more drawn to the texture and the colors themselves, this mix of geometrical precision and very tactile materials. I’m thinking about how Swaminathan applied the watercolor, almost like colored pencils, to build up these landscape forms. Curator: Absolutely. The artist, deeply involved in Indian modernism, engaged with the Tribal art of India. The effect of what is sometimes termed primitivism gave him a vantage point to look at geometric abstraction in new ways, turning away from some established conventions in European painting. Editor: Precisely. You can feel the artistic tension there. Note how the materiality challenges our expectations. This wasn't just about depiction, but about really working the watercolor. Also how important is the little lonely bird perched on one of the mountains! Curator: Symbolism is central in Swaminathan’s paintings. The bird motif may evoke multiple significances: the insignificance of being but also the promise of transcending earthy constraints. The geometric structures resemble mountain landscapes, which appear as symbols for enduring, even transcendental forces. Editor: The combination of those soft watercolour lines and those distinct geometric forms create a captivating friction. It is, in its way, deceptively industrial but completely organic. He seemed preoccupied with ways in which materials can be themselves while creating entirely new impressions. Curator: Swaminathan worked outside dominant Indian art world establishments and this work in many ways feels as though it speaks of that individualism. This particular example represents a critical moment in the artist's trajectory, questioning notions of tradition and modernity and showing his specific understanding of art in India. Editor: Considering his material-driven methodology, I see someone really trying to break things open, right down to the application of the paint itself, it tells a rich story about that period in Indian art.