Lot Essay
Rendered in brown, black, and white, the patterning in Walsh's Auditorium is reminiscent of ancient Grecian pottery in its coloration and geometric motifs, and the bands around the edges give the effect of an architectural floor plan with the linear borders and rounded rectangles suggesting stairs and columns or chambers. Walsh uses the authority of these classical references to engage with ideas of visual purity. Painted entirely freehand, without the use of a ruler or masking tape, the graphic perfection of his composition is conceived as subjective perception, as the asymmetrical layout defies spatial logic and the subtle idiosyncrasies of Walsh's brush marks infuse design archetype with the friability of human negotiation.