Jack Bush painted “Lincoln Centre” (1974) during his brief but diligent exploration of the “Totem” as a theme in his abstract paintings. Following an eight-year period of his “Fringe” motif, Bush’s totems consisted of bands made up of blocks of several colours. The rigid left edge and uneven right edge in the totem of Lincoln Centre is a distinguishing attribute to this subject. These were Bush’s centralized imagery from fall 1973 through winter 1974; he would then move on to a new phase, consisting of “Strokes” and “Handkerchiefs.”
Bush consistently sought the advice of New York critic Clement Greenberg. As per Greenberg’s recommendations, the illusion of depth disappeared in Bush’s paintings, yet it eventually returned in his mature work of the 1970s. The artist gained more self-confidence with his increasing success, prompting him to return to paintings that were gestural and with clearly defined backgrounds and foregrounds – a style of painting that Greenberg had discouraged. “Lincoln Centre” exemplifies Bush’s work of this era, when the artist began to create mottled backgrounds, and then set loose abstract forms hovering above them.
Jack Hamilton Bush - Lincoln Centre | Cowley Abbott
