Mural Studio at the RCA 1954

John Bratby made this painting of the Mural Studio at the RCA with oil on canvas, and it's a wild ride of brushstrokes. The colours aren't exactly realistic; they're more about feeling the space than copying it, and the way he's layered the paint shows artmaking as a process, not just an end result. Up close, the painting is a playground of textures. Thick daubs of paint create a bumpy surface, especially around the figures, giving them a sculptural quality. The brushwork is so visible, you can almost see Bratby wrestling with the canvas. Look at the figure on the right with his back to us - the way he's built up the layers of paint makes the whole scene feel alive. Bratby reminds me a little of Leon Kossoff, in how he used paint to build up layers of meaning and feeling. Neither were afraid to let their process show, and that's what makes their work so compelling. It’s a reminder that art is about embracing ambiguity, a constant conversation across time, and space for the viewer to reflect.