Jack Hamilton Bush 1909 - 1977

By 1958, Bush has crossed the Rubicon into abstraction. His first forays in this unknown territory were tentative in some instances, but in works such as this they were assertive and bold, as if he had suddenly gone on a diet of steroids. The timid landscapes, with their muddy colours and modest formats, were foregone and in their place Bush took to larger sizes and newly-created shapes and textures.

This work, from the Painters Eleven period, shows Bush's ability to venture into the unknown and to conquer it with intelligence and emotional power. His composition relies upon his talent for invention, his sense of drama, his uncanny choice of colours, and his aesthetic energy, which animates every inch of this fine work.