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Shaun Tan art

Shaun Tan - "Crow Palace (oil study)" - oil on board

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Crow Palace (oil study)

Oil on board by Shaun Tan (2011).

Artwork size: 20 x 16 cm (7.9" x 6.3")  

Frame size: 36 x 33 cm (14.1" x 13")

"The ‘crows and crown’ scene – ‘Never Lose a Fight’ – was a key starting point for the book as a whole: the idea of an older brother selling a younger one to some shadowy merchants in a moment of weakness, a story I’d been scribbling in sketchbooks for years. The crown itself does not figure strongly elsewhere; originally I had the older boy give it to the younger at the end, but then realised the crown is not relevant to their relationship. It’s more of a distraction, a symbol for selfish victory (winning an argument, for instance) since the idea of a king has little to do with partnership or shared privilege. There is also a sense that the boys have crossed into a ghost-city: a hollow, empty version of their more familiar environment. Maybe it’s the world of crows, a backstage mirror of the human plane, with dull buildings and silent chimneys. I’ve always drawn, painted and researched abandoned places, a favourite subject, and lots of crows."—Shaun Tan

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