Winston BranchToday is not a surprise, 2023
Returning to large-scale paintings for the first time in many years, Branch’s newer works signal a shift in orientation. While earlier works contained a sense of thickness about them, as if paint had been applied, reapplied, and applied again to create a sense of depth and intensity, the newer works are lighter and open themselves up across the surface. The works of the 1980s and 90s highlight extraordinary mark-making that is shorter and energetic, while recent paintings explore the placement of marks through large, dynamic brushstrokes that create a sense of expansion.
His process often involves laying down canvas on the floor, allowing him to work with his entire body. This manner of working changes the hierarchical composition of the work. In the work Today is not a surprise, 2023, acrylic paint lands boldly on the surface: dark pigment covers the top of the frame with pinkish swashes of colour, creating soft, irregular marks. In many of his untitled works created in 2023, colours bloom and flow into each other organically.
