Dimensions: support: 2457 x 2988 mm
Copyright: © John Walker | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: Oh, my, what a tumble of shapes and hues! It’s almost architectural but thoroughly dreamlike. Editor: Indeed. We’re looking at John Walker’s "Labyrinth III," currently housed at the Tate. Note the monumental scale—nearly 3 by 2.5 meters. Curator: It has the feeling of being lost in a half-remembered building. Is that dome a real dome? Editor: The composition balances abstraction with figuration. The brushwork is thick and assertive, creating an almost sculptural surface. Observe the interplay of textures. Curator: Textures piled on textures! It's a visceral maze, more felt than understood. Editor: The use of geometric forms disrupted by impasto suggests a deconstruction of space, reflecting the complexity of navigating both physical and psychological labyrinths. Curator: Yes, a journey, not just a place! Editor: It’s a powerful exploration of space and the human condition, wouldn't you agree? Curator: Absolutely. It’s the kind of work that burrows under your skin and stays there.
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Walker's art explores the tension between pure abstraction and the point where abstract forms begin to suggest recognisable objects. He has explained: 'Matisse and Picasso ...took figurative painting almost to abstraction and then they stopped. I'd like to come the other way and stop, just this side of abstraction'. Although abstract, 'Labyrinth III' suggests an interior space and the shapes within it may read as figures. Walker has acknowledged that there is a connection between this work and Velasquez's painting 'Las Meninas' which depicts the artist in his studio. Walker has commented: 'I want abstract paintings to have a human presence, to be as interesting as the human form...' Gallery label, September 2004
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