Composition 1965

Francis Bott's "Composition" presents an assembly of forms and colours which exist in tension. Broadly speaking, the painting is structured around a large, black dominating shape, contrasted against a muted, blue ground. The texture of the paint application is critical here. Bott applies the paint thickly, creating palpable surfaces that add depth to the composition. This materiality draws us into the work, compelling our attention and a tactile engagement with the painted surface. The limited palette of blacks, greys, blues, and occasional reds serves to heighten the structural elements of the work. Bott’s use of colour is deployed as a signifier of the interplay between shadow and light. These create a sense of depth which undermines a clear reading of the pictorial space. The interplay between the ground and the figure challenges fixed notions of space, form, and representation. This asks us to reconsider how we perceive and categorise the visual world around us.