Untitled

In the later decades of his career, Gordon Walters circled back to further develop ideas that he first expressed during the 1950s. His paintings from the 1970s onwards refined and extended forms that remained important to the artist throughout his life. At a lecture delivered by Walters in 1983 he elaborated on his intentions:

‘There is some optical movement in my paintings but it is very slight, and I want them to be thoughtful and quiet. Each work is the expression of a feeling, and I think my painting is in the tradition of much modern art in that I like asymmetry, and work towards a balance of forms in the work.’

The principle of repetition is clearly enunciated in the two strong horizontal bands which anchor the work. The insertion of the diagonal band which intersects with the top parallel bar creates asymmetry and gives the composition its sense of energy. The painting shows the artist continuing to explore the ‘dynamic relations’ between forms, using an increasingly limited visual language to create a feeling of stillness and reduction.

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