Two Parrots 

Walasse Ting made this vibrant painting of Two Parrots on paper using watercolor and acrylic. The flat planes of vivid color are characteristic of Ting’s style. These parrots seem to represent a joyous vision of nature, but we might also see them as posing questions about the place of animals within human culture. The style of this painting suggests a blending of American abstract expressionism with traditional Chinese ink painting. Ting was part of the CoBrA group of avant-garde artists that sought to break down the traditional institutions of art. The imagery in this work could reflect a longing for nature and freedom from societal restraints. His work is also connected to an attitude of self-expression and liberation after the Second World War. When considering the meaning of this painting, we might also ask, what is the place of nature in a modern industrialized society? Are these parrots emblems of the exotic pet trade? To answer these kinds of questions, art historians consult not only biographical sources but also the social history of collecting and display.