Roy Osborne, Compass Study VI (Whirl), 2009-12

Roy Osborne (1948-)

Compass Study VI (Whirl) (2009-12)

Acrylic paint on canvas
76 x 76 cm

A strong sense of rotation runs through this mid-scale Compass work, with curved bands of turquoise, blue, orange, rust and violet crossing through the centre of the canvas. The forms appear to weave over and under one another, creating controlled optical movement without losing the clarity of the composition.

The palette is richer and warmer than some of the related Compass works, giving it a lively, almost textile-like quality. It is full of rhythm and colour, but still held together by Osborne’s precise geometric structure.

Details
Artist No. 271. Compass series 2. Signed RO ’12 bottom left. Wood frame.

Exhibition history
Paul McPherson Gallery, London SE10, Ionist Art Exhibition, 30 April-12 May 2012. Menier Gallery, London SE1, Free Painters and Sculptors, 2-13 December 2014. Sandra Higgins Art Gallery, Bath, Cornucopia, 7-26 April 2025.