John Plumb

Hydrastructure - What It Is

1992

© The estate of John Plumb

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Not on display

Artist: John Plumb 1927–2008
Medium: Acrylic paint on canvas
Dimensions: Support: 1832 x 1832 x 24 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Presented anonymously 1998
Reference: T07472

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Throughout his career, John Plumb gained a reputation as one of Britain's most inventive abstract painters. This work consists of broad bands of colour dragged across a canvas. Plumb applies the paint with knives and spatulas to allow for chance developments that he then reacts to. These unintended occurrences become a method for developing the character of the work. This element of improvisation has parallels with jazz, of which Plumb is a devotee. This is reflected in the work’s title, which was derived from a piece of music performed by Miles Davis.

Gallery label, July 2007

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