Walton Ford. Pancha Tantra

The sinister majesty of Walton Ford's wildlife
At first glance, Walton Fords large-scale, highly-detailed watercolors of animals may recall the prints of 19th century illustrators John James Audubon and Edward Lear, and others of the colonial era. But a closer look reveals a complex and disturbingly anthropomorphic universe, full of symbols, sly jokes, and allusions to the operatic nature of traditional natural history themes. The beasts and birds populating this contemporary artists life-size paintings are never mere objects, but dynamic actors in allegorical struggles: a wild turkey crushes a small parrot in its claw; a troupe of monkeys wreak havoc on a formal dinner table, an American buffalo is surrounded by bloodied white wolves. The books title derives from The Pancha Tantra, an ancient Indian book of animal tales considered the precursor to Aesops Fables.

This large-format edition includes an in-depth exploration of Walton Fords oeuvre, a complete biography, and excerpts from his textual inspirations: Vietnamese folktales and the letters of Benjamin Franklin, the Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini and Audubons Ornithological Biography.

First published in TASCHENs limited collectors edition now available in this standard hardcover edition! The artist:
Walton Ford, born 1960 in Larchmont, NY, graduated in filmmaking from RISD, but switched to large-scale watercolor painting. His work has been widely exhibited, including shows at the Whitney and Brooklyn museums. He lives and works in Massachusetts.