Artwork Description
I think you need to see this painting in person to fully appreciate what James has done with it. From a distance, it's a wonderful, warm red, but come a little closer and you'll find all these delicate lines, some barely visible, others crossing over one another in a tangle of yellow, orange and pale blue.
There's a lovely contrast between the simplicity of the colour and the extraordinary amount of detail. The marks seem almost spontaneous, yet your eye keeps finding circles and connections amongst them. I particularly enjoy the way they gather towards the bottom of the canvas, as though everything is happening there before drifting upwards.
At 120 × 150 cm, Quantum Circles is a substantial original abstract painting, but it doesn't need a complicated setting. I can imagine it looking beautiful against a simple white wall, especially in a home with natural wood and warm, earthy furnishings.
James has worked in oil and wax on stretched canvas, giving the surface a richness that photographs can only partly capture. It's one of those paintings where there's always something else to notice.
