Block Printed Tree of Life 2-I

Material : cotton, canvas
Dimension : 28.5 x 39.5 inch
"Tree of Life This Panel was yet another attempt to capture the elusive splendour of the historic Tree of Life. Since there were technical difficulties in rendering the subject in its original dye painting technique, the craftsmen, in this case, tried out a different medium- fabric block prints with azo-free dyes. The transformation was also essential for the work to achieve commercial viability. In printing, it was possible, to achieve finer line work and brighter colours with a smaller investment of time and effort. This painting comrises of- A tree rising in a classical manner, from a mound that harbours the symbolic life and their inhabitants. Flanked by smaller trees and shrubs, its slendour trunks and boughs meander upward across a vast expanse. An impossible largesse of blossoms fills its crown, hiding from view the numerous squirrels and birds amidst the foliage. Perched on high branches, rendered in colour, appear to pause for rest. For this panel, the non- repetitive elements such as the trunk and branches required painting by brush, but the floral and foliate forms were freely printed with blocks A subtle wave pattern, also printed with blocks, enriches the texture of the ground. In fact the printing required over hundred blocks, all of which were prepared in Bombay, as well as a vast range of dyes. In the case of some colours, for instance, over a dozen different shades were used. The sheer scale of the exercise presented several problems. The artists found it impossible to visualize or determine the exact layout of the design prior to execution. And painting the trunks and branches with a brush resulted occassionally in an exaggerated or awkward turn. The rectangular format of this genre, moreover, awkwardly confined the natural spread of the tree, and handling the edges of the composition where its foliage terminates, required special attention.

Country of Origin - India