Call 1967

Here we have “Call” by Phillip King, its date is unknown, made from what looks like painted steel or wood. The way the colours interact is key here: the bright green and orange really popping out from the backdrop, with a matt surface that suggests a deliberate attempt to avoid the seductive quality of shiny surfaces. When I look at this work, I feel the physicality of the medium, the weight of the objects, the way King has balanced formal and conceptual ideas here. I'm especially drawn to the column that's orange and green in the foreground. It is so simple, so confident, like a punctuation mark, it brings everything together with a kind of abrupt clarity. This is like early work by Anthony Caro - King was his student. I feel like these artists invite us to rethink sculpture in terms of colour and form. In the end, the artwork remains an invitation, rather than a declaration.