Sewing Machine, Wife and Baby 1960

John Bratby gave us this domestic scene with paint, but when and where, who knows? It’s an interior space bursting with life, almost claustrophobic. There is a relentless energy to Bratby’s brushstrokes, a kind of all-overness. The paint is thick, lush and juicy, and the colors are bold and clashing: yellows, greens, reds, and browns jostle for space on the canvas. Look at the way he’s applied the paint, almost as if he's attacking the surface. Every object is rendered with the same intensity, creating a flattened space where everything seems to be pushed to the foreground. There is an almost feverish quality to the painting, a sense of unease lurking beneath the surface. I’m reminded of Paula Modersohn-Becker's intimate and raw depictions of domestic life. Like Bratby, she wasn't afraid to confront the complexities of everyday experience. Art isn’t about answers, it’s about asking questions.