" DRIFTWOOD PERCH - STRIPED SWALLOWS "
Robert Bateman

950 s/n Paper
13 1/2" x 20"
$245

“The striped swallow is a bird which is found in Africa, but they are like swallows
the world over. They are trim and streamlined, and they seem to be in motion even
when at rest. Even though they seem delicate, they appear hard, almost as if they
were sculpted out of metal. I especially like the tight little head.

No matter where they live in the world, swallows, of course, feed on the wing.
These striped swallows swooping over an African river reminded me of the cliff swallow
I have seen darting after insects over some river in America. Indeed, the typical
place to see striped swallows is near a river in dry savanna country. The clue to this
location is in the painting. The wood on which the swallows are perched is water worn.
This kind of country is normally dry but subject to sudden heavy rainstorms. The
streambeds can fill with raging torrents which erode the banks and
sweep away the uprooted trees.

This perch appealed to me because of its texture, its sculptural shapes and the
way it echoes the form of the birds.”
Robert Bateman

 

- Driftwood Perch - Striped Swallows -

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