Adam and Eve (#2) 1970

Frederick Hammersley made *Adam and Eve (#2)* with flat areas of colour that meet in very precise ways. The canvas has been transformed into a field of encounters. Looking at how the blocks of blue, black and red abut one another so squarely, I wonder, was Hammersley thinking about Mondrian? And what about the title? Does it have something to do with the colour relationships? I bet he was thinking about how these colours – this very particular blue and this very particular red – affect each other. It is almost as if the black acts as a kind of censor, keeping these so-called first humans apart. I like to think of how different the world would be without painting. So many artists are in conversation with each other. I love how Hammersley takes a really direct approach with this piece, and doesn't seem worried about making mistakes along the way. Each painting is just a record of the artist's thinking.