Dr. Tan Chong Guan, Tay Mo-Leong Retrospective, Penang State Museum & Art Gallery, Penang, 2009, illustrated p. 6 (detail) and p. 194
Provenance
Private collection, Penang
Description
The sugar palm trees stretching from bottom to top create a trajectory force from the series of ‘V’ shapes funneling upwards and when two trees crisscross, bringing about intricate crosshatch patterns with yellow, red and blue in the interstices. The pointillism-inspired dots in similar colour scheme further enhance the beauty. A reverse ‘V’ object shaped like a thatched hut lies on top, slightly off-centre.
Tay’s masterful batik techniques nicely compliment the palm topography, a familiar sight to the artist when passing a fishing village near Merbok in Kedah, just opposite Pantai Merdeka. Tay is known for innovating the double-resist process and other experimental breakthroughs in batik painting.