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Lot Essay
The mid 1970s was a period of extensive travel and output for Williams and marked the beginnings of new thematic series which included Kew Billabong (1975-1977), Werribee Gorge (1975-1978) and the Kosciusko series (1975-77). In terms of his paintings, the simultaneous introduction of a vibrant, energetic palette and exploration of new subject matter had been mastered. The Botanist's Garden, an example of Williams interpretation of the garden of a botanist which had overgrown after years of neglect, incorporates the vigour of the new palette.
In The Botanist's Garden, Williams employs the formal technique of dividing the painting into two sections with an intermittent cobalt blue horizontal line. Williams has moved away from the marked contrast or delineation between the two landscapes as seen in his landscapes of 1974, to explore a more local and intimate scene. This interpretation of the botanist's garden represents an exploration of the close and the distant. The foreground landscape is more grass and scrub like, in contrast to the heavily painted and densely treed landscape in the distance.
The division of the landscape is set within an abstract framework, as what William's choses to interpret, not what he actually sees, is the focus of his attention. The variously coloured sketchy grass-like brushstrokes of paint reminiscent of scrambled notations are indicative of his attempts to incorporate more expression and spontaneity into his work. The brushstrokes in ochre, red, green, pink, lilac and aqua greens painted randomly across the canvas, a reference to the palette of Monet, are an attempt to create a sense of movement and activity in the painting.
The viewer's gaze wanders easily from the bottom to the top of the canvas through a tangle of lush green and ochre scrub scattered with wildflowers and dots of acacia yellow. Above the horizon line, Williams has created a rich tangle of green, lilac and indigo foliage, highlighted by accents of wattle amongst the taller trees in the garden. The Botanist's Garden, is an example of William's move towards a more descriptive and expressive landscape and a style he would continue to develop in the Kew Billabong series.
In The Botanist's Garden, Williams employs the formal technique of dividing the painting into two sections with an intermittent cobalt blue horizontal line. Williams has moved away from the marked contrast or delineation between the two landscapes as seen in his landscapes of 1974, to explore a more local and intimate scene. This interpretation of the botanist's garden represents an exploration of the close and the distant. The foreground landscape is more grass and scrub like, in contrast to the heavily painted and densely treed landscape in the distance.
The division of the landscape is set within an abstract framework, as what William's choses to interpret, not what he actually sees, is the focus of his attention. The variously coloured sketchy grass-like brushstrokes of paint reminiscent of scrambled notations are indicative of his attempts to incorporate more expression and spontaneity into his work. The brushstrokes in ochre, red, green, pink, lilac and aqua greens painted randomly across the canvas, a reference to the palette of Monet, are an attempt to create a sense of movement and activity in the painting.
The viewer's gaze wanders easily from the bottom to the top of the canvas through a tangle of lush green and ochre scrub scattered with wildflowers and dots of acacia yellow. Above the horizon line, Williams has created a rich tangle of green, lilac and indigo foliage, highlighted by accents of wattle amongst the taller trees in the garden. The Botanist's Garden, is an example of William's move towards a more descriptive and expressive landscape and a style he would continue to develop in the Kew Billabong series.