Snooker 1971

Ken Danby made this painting, Snooker, with incredible attention to detail. The hues are muted, almost as if we are looking at a memory rather than a real-life scene. I can imagine Danby, in his studio, carefully layering paint to capture the intense focus of the player. The artist has captured his face, his eyes narrowed, focused, everything is tuned to the shot. But there is something else, that is not quite on, something maybe a little off, dare I say a bit creepy… That hand that’s supporting the cue, it is almost skeletal! And what about the coats in the background – are they coats, or ghosts, or both? It is almost as if Danby is showing us that in snooker, as in painting, precision and concentration can conjure unexpected visions. It's a reminder that art, like life, often reveals more than we initially perceive.