Untitled 1943

Zainul Abedin made this little painting of two crows in 1943. Look at the way he's letting the ink drip and pool, embracing the fluid nature of the medium. It's all about process, isn't it? I love the way Abedin captures the texture of the crow's feathers with these loose, gestural strokes. The ink creates these beautiful, uneven surfaces, almost like a watercolor stain. See how the dark ink bleeds into the paper, creating a soft, diffused edge? This gives the crows a sense of movement, as if they're about to take flight. There's something so alive about the way he's captured the essence of these creatures with such minimal means. It makes me think of Franz Kline's black and white abstractions, but with a touch of whimsy. Art's an ongoing dialogue, a conversation across time and cultures, don’t you think?