Peter JosephNo. 55 Green with Dark Blue Surround 1981

From the early 1970s, Peter Joseph made paintings

that followed a basic format: a central rectangle of colour surrounded by a border of a darker hue. His quiet and subtle paintings are inspired by such things as a sonata by Schubert or a shadow beneath a tree. Joseph has explained: ‘There is little space left in the industry of art exhibiting for a dream or reverie. What you see in my work is perhaps a momentary attempt to establish this space.’