William Bailey (1930–2020)

WILLIAM BAILEY (1930–2020)
Still Life, 1980
Oil on canvas, 40 x 50 in.
Signed and dated (on verso): Bailey 1980; (on stretcher): May–Dec 1980

EX COLL: the artist; [Schoelkopf Gallery New York, 1981]; to private collection, 1981 until the present

In keeping with Bailey’s signature approach, each element in Still Life is carefully rendered with no visible brushwork and each retains its own identity and sense of architectonic form. At the same time, they are united with one another by the gentle play of light and shadow that, along with the artist’s methodical handling, helps imbue the image with a surreal quality. The sense of timelessness that pervades the image––in itself a synthesis of realism and abstraction––demonstrates the fact that in any Bailey still life, there’s much more than meets the eye. We don’t have a sense of time or place when we look at Still Life, nor do we envision the domestic environment from whence these humble objects came. Instead, the viewer is immersed in an ambiance of peaceful introspection