Frank Bowling
My Cup Runneth Over, 2020
Acrylic on Perspex
20x20x20cm
Copyright The Artist
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In his contribution to Cure3, My Cup Runneth Over, Bowling continues his practice of pouring paint over a surface; in this case, the Perspex cube. Occasionally, he blends tea leaves...
In his contribution to Cure3, My Cup Runneth Over, Bowling continues his practice of pouring paint over a surface; in this case, the Perspex cube. Occasionally, he blends tea leaves into the gel he uses in his paintings, adding a natural element to his works. The artist uses the title, a famous biblical phrase, in a literal sense as the paint swirls over the cube, creating abstract, stain-like forms, as if it has been spilled over by an overflowing cup. The abstract expressionistic style of the paint contrasts starkly with the ready-made teapot and teacup inside the cube and their connotations of the small rituals of daily life. The Perspex cube both showcases and entraps the objects, which combined with the paint and opaque top of the cube renders the everyday comfort of tea inaccessible. Bowling thus creates an uncanny artwork where our perception of the mundane is altered, a poignant comment on our tendency to take many aspects of life for granted. This is articulated by the title of the work, which can be interpreted as “I have more than enough for my needs".