Seneca 1979

Albert Irvin made "Seneca" with paint, and judging by the feel of it, he was really working into it. The colours here, those reds, yellows and greens, are laid down in confident strokes, and the piece becomes a dance between opacity and translucence. You can sense the physicality of the medium. Look at the place where that ochre bar overlays the background, you can see that it has been dragged across the canvas, leaving this residue that suggests something buried. It puts me in mind of the work of Gillian Ayres, whose paintings embrace a similar sense of freedom and experimentation. Both artists show us how art is a conversation, an invitation to engage with the world in new and unexpected ways. And isn't that what it’s all about? A form which embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations.