Enchanted by Banyan Trees

Posted by Administrator on 21st December, 2012

Time freezes. A man stands before a huge old tree, absorbed by its gigantic size.

The man was Canadian artist Ken Pattern. He had that moment in Bali when he was looking for inspiration one and a half years ago.

He made the trip after the completion of his exhibition, which highlighted the depletion of the rainforest and the destructive impact of the palm oil industry.

Pattern was in Bali before heading to Canada. The artist returns to Canada every year between July and October to print lithographs in Vancouver.

“I did not plan to spend one and a half years on my banyan tree pieces. I wasn’t expecting to do the banyan but when I saw it, it got inside me and I couldn’t get it out of my mind,” he told The Jakarta Post during the opening of his latest exhibition at the Four Seasons Hotel.

The main stars of his ongoing exhibition are three huge acrylic paintings: The Banyan Tree at Bangli, The Banyan Tree at Tembuku and Flamboyant. They attracted the attention of many visitors who were seen gathering around the exquisite works in the main lobby.

The Banyan Tree at Bangli depicts the giant trunks of the tree, showing off its massive size and multiple parts. The green lushness of the leaves and trunks dominate Flamboyant, while The Banyan Tree at Tembuku gives the viewer a close up of the numerous roots of the giant tree.

“Since I was young, I always had a strong love for trees. Even when I was in Canada, I was always drawing and painting trees. The banyan tree is not only interesting but it is symbolic too — especially for the Balinese. It’s like a religious symbol,” Pattern said.

Down in the right alley of the main lobby are a number of smaller pencil drawings and lithographic works that are inspired by close ups of the banyan tree as well as some traditional scenes of Bali lives.

Among the Banyan Study collection there is a beautiful small drawing titled Banyan Study IX. It’s subtle and romantic tone makes the banyan roots look as beautiful as a flower.   

The stone lithograph works, such as those in the Stepping Stone collection, offer a different beauty in terms of light and contrast. They have crisp edges and sharp tones with more focus on lighting of the depicted object.

In the exhibition, which will run until Feb. 15, 2013, Pattern also showcases a small number of not-for-sale works that give a glimpse of a new direction he is taking in his current works.

Pattern’s art plays with designs, colors and words. In comparison, the new direction he is exploring approaches composition and theme in a completely different way. In these pieces he draws inspiration from architecture in the Marina Bay Sands complex in Singapore.

In one of these pieces, And the Wiener Takes It All, the lithograph shows the Marina Bay Sands resort with a red sausage on the top instead of its iconic ship.

“I really like the architecture of the Marina Bay Sands complex in Singapore and I always like satire. The complex is all about gambling, so I made jokes about the gambling,” he said, adding that he just used the building as a reference point.  

The artist who admits drawing is his first love said the new direction is as detailed and precise as his other works but it has a different motivation and composition.

“That is surrealism, taking realism out of context. Sometimes I spend a lot of time on the title because it has more than one meaning,” he said.

Late

Last changed: 22nd December, 2012 at 11:51 PM