This body of work has not yet been exhibited and currently hangs in Delaney’s studio in Johannesburg. It evolved from the previous 2 exhibitions – Creation, followed by Palimpsest – and the artist has taken them into an even more abstract realm, drawing on the influence of American mid-century modernism and other movements.
The panels of flat colour are influenced by Delaney’s time spent printmaking – “flats” of colour are often employed by printmakers to give atmosphere or body, applied with large rollers which ensure cosistency. Recreating this effect on canvas using oil paint is more complex than it seems, as the artist has to battle the variations in colour which come naturally with mixed oil paint, and juxtaposition this with the fluid, organic parts of the canvas.
