Adam and Eve (#2) 1970

Frederick Hammersley made this painting, Adam and Eve (#2), with a focus on pared back color and form. It's a distillation, like he’s trying to get to the essence of something through simple shapes. The real action is on the surface; it's incredibly smooth, almost like it was sprayed on. The paint isn’t trying to be expressive in a gestural way. Instead, it's all about a clean, direct application that reinforces the hard edges and the flat planes of color. The black bar down the center feels like a dividing line, or maybe a connector, between the cool blue and the hot red. There’s a small white rectangle, tucked away under the blue, and another one cutting into the top of the red. It's these subtle shifts that bring the painting to life, preventing it from becoming too static. It reminds me a bit of Mondrian, but with a warmer, more playful vibe. Ultimately, the painting is about the relationships between colors and shapes, inviting us to see how simple forms can create complex feelings.