Purple Thrust - Jack Bush

A screenprint by Jack Bush featuring a vertical, multi-coloured column set against a textured, olive-green field.

Jack Bush was a central figure in the development of Canadian abstract art. His practice moved from early influences of the Group of Seven towards the formal concerns of Colour Field painting. This work, Purple Thrust, demonstrates his interest in the interaction of flat planes of colour and the physical application of paint.

The composition is dominated by a textured, olive-green field that acts as a backdrop for a vertical, multi-coloured column. This central form is divided into distinct segments of deep purple, muted orange, and a lighter pink, topped with a sliver of white. The edges of the green field are deliberately uneven, revealing the artist's interest in the materiality of the printmaking process. Unlike the hard-edged geometric abstraction of some of his contemporaries, Bush maintained a painterly quality in his work, often using rollers and brushes to create varied surfaces.

Bush's approach to colour was intuitive rather than systematic. He often spoke of his desire to make a painting that felt like a song or a specific emotional state. In this piece, the vertical thrust of the central form creates a sense of movement against the static, textured background. The choice of colours suggests a balance between the cool, deep tones of the purple and the warmer, lighter hues of the orange and pink. This print captures the essence of his later career, where he focused on the economy of means and the power of pure colour to define space on a two-dimensional surface. It is a clear example of his ability to create visual tension through simple, deliberate arrangements.