Among Australia’s most distinct and celebrated abstractionists, Robert Jacks’ work is equal parts intelligent and mystical. ‘Untitled (Abstract Night Sky)’ is a richly coloured linocut. It pictures a navy terrain with a red triangle and within that, a small purple square. White dots allude to stars, perfectly plotted across the night sky. There is musicality to the configuration, open sky split by perfect red noise.

In 2004, Jacks was commissioned to create a series of etching for the centenary of Bloomsday, an annual festival that celebrates James Joycs’s ‘Ulysses’. For Jacks, the brilliance of Joyce lies with his abstraction. Both artist and writer are interested in connecting ideas, reaching across the cosmic and mundane to draw constellations. What you see in them is up to you.

Jacks is the subject of a monograph, represented in most public collections and in 2014, was honoured with a major retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. ‘Untitled (Abstract Night Sky)’ will illuminate collections of abstract and minimal art.
 

Robert JACKS (1943 - 2014)
'Untitled (Abstract Night Sky)' 1989
Linocut on paper
Edition of 15
Image Size: 40 x 64 cm
Dimensions: 57 x 77 cm
Signed: Signed, dated and numbered in pencil in margin below image.
Comes with Letter of Provenance
 
Condition: Excellent

© Robert Jacks / Copyright Agency 2022