Coloured Still Life 1967

Patrick Caulfield made this vibrant still life with paint on canvas, using bold blocks of color outlined in black. Looking at it, I can imagine him carefully considering each object, simplifying it down to its most essential form. He’s like, what is a jug, really? What is its essence? Is it red? I get the feeling that Caulfield was thinking a lot about color relationships and how to create a dynamic composition with these flat shapes. The bright red of the jug really pops against the cool blue background, while the other colors – yellow, green, and a deep brick red – create a playful sense of balance. It's like he’s taking the traditional still life and giving it a modern, pop art twist, which reminds me a little bit of Lichtenstein or even Warhol. All these artists are in a kind of dialogue, bouncing ideas off each other, seeing what happens when you push the boundaries of painting.