BIRDS OF MANY FEATHERS
BIRDS OF MANY FEATHERS
paintings and text by v.s.gopalakrishnan
Over the centuries, from the time of Renaissance, painting as an art-form has achieved a pinnacular status. But largely it can be said that men and animals have been the favourite object materials. The bird species have been non-entities. Only in recent times, "bird painters" have evolved as a separate species of painters! The pity is that they have concentrated exclusively on birds, just another form of extremism!
Two owls - a painting by v.s.gopalakrishnan- acrylic
on canvas
Ancient cave paintings known as 'rock art' also show the birds sparsely; some of the best known cave art is at Lascaux (France), Chauvet (France) and Altamira (Spain). Perhaps the primitive man was more worried about the deadly killer-animals and proud about their prowess over the timid and hunted animals. Birds posed no challenge to men.
The pelicans - a painting by v.s.gopalakrishnan-
acrylic on canvas
The Orient was perhaps not so ignoring of birds as the West, and the Chinese artists concentrated on birds and flora. Ustad Mansur who was a Moghul court-painter during Jehangir's time is known well even amongst our present artists' community, and he specialised in bird paintings. ( I will have more to say about the great Ustad Mansur and the great Abu al-Hasan, in another blog).
Amongst all living things, I find that the birds are the most fasinating with their ability to soar in the sky. If there are extra-terrestrial human beings elsewhere or aliens are proved to exist, I would wonder whether flying birds will be a part of their living environment. God is a queer designer with infinite varieties on his drawing table!
(dr.v.s.gopalakrishnan ph.d., ias retd.)
paintings and text by v.s.gopalakrishnan
Over the centuries, from the time of Renaissance, painting as an art-form has achieved a pinnacular status. But largely it can be said that men and animals have been the favourite object materials. The bird species have been non-entities. Only in recent times, "bird painters" have evolved as a separate species of painters! The pity is that they have concentrated exclusively on birds, just another form of extremism!
Two owls - a painting by v.s.gopalakrishnan- acrylic
on canvas
Ancient cave paintings known as 'rock art' also show the birds sparsely; some of the best known cave art is at Lascaux (France), Chauvet (France) and Altamira (Spain). Perhaps the primitive man was more worried about the deadly killer-animals and proud about their prowess over the timid and hunted animals. Birds posed no challenge to men.
acrylic on canvas
The Orient was perhaps not so ignoring of birds as the West, and the Chinese artists concentrated on birds and flora. Ustad Mansur who was a Moghul court-painter during Jehangir's time is known well even amongst our present artists' community, and he specialised in bird paintings. ( I will have more to say about the great Ustad Mansur and the great Abu al-Hasan, in another blog).
Amongst all living things, I find that the birds are the most fasinating with their ability to soar in the sky. If there are extra-terrestrial human beings elsewhere or aliens are proved to exist, I would wonder whether flying birds will be a part of their living environment. God is a queer designer with infinite varieties on his drawing table!
(dr.v.s.gopalakrishnan ph.d., ias retd.)
© V-S-Gopal., all rights reserved.
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