Frank Bowling

de Elena Crippa

"Since Frank Bowling (b.1934) started painting in the late 1950s, he has pursued a relentless exploration of the properties and possibilities of paint, experimenting with stitching, staining, pouring and dripping. Often abitious in scale, and known for its colourful and luminous quality and the layered application of paint, Bowling's work combines figuration and abstract elements and evokes autobiographical references and socio-political concerns. Beginning with his figurative work created in the early 1960s, this book explores and extraordinary career spanning over 60 years. It traces the development of Bowling's practice right up to his most recent work, illustrating the artist's interest in surface textures, the tension between geometry and organic forms, and between expansive fields of colour of unusual mediums, such as metallic pigments, fluorescent chack and acrylic gels. Bowling's contribution to modern and contemporary art, and his wide-reaching influence, are further illuminated by a combination of insightful texts and artistic voices. Featuring iconic artworks--such as the 'map paintings', the 'poured paintings', and the Great Thames paintings--alongside rarely seen works, this book is a feast of colour and texture that celebrates the quality and breadth of Bowling's remarkable work."