Join (#11) 1961

Frederick Hammersley made this painting titled 'Join (#11)' with clean lines and confident color choices. He knew exactly what he was doing. Look at how the blue squares pop against the white and black. I can feel Hammersley carefully masking off each section, building up thin layers of paint with almost mechanical precision. What I love is how the simplicity creates a kind of visual puzzle. The way the triangle carves through the composition, it’s like a formal dare, you know? He probably just wanted to explore what shapes do, and how they relate to each other. I bet you he knew what Josef Albers was up to; they’re both playing with perception. With this one, Hammersley invites us to consider how geometry can communicate depth, movement, and the sheer joy of seeing.