Study for ‘Villandry’

London, 1966

Graphite on paper

246 x 259 mm

Due to licencing rules, the Barber is currently unable to reproduce images of this work for our website. If you wish to view this work, you can make an appointment to see it in the Prints and Drawings Study Room.

Jaray draws the eye in multiple directions in this geometric map of interconnecting lines. Searching for an anchor of familiarity, we traverse the paths, attempting to make sense of the abstract, yet incredibly precise, composition; is it concave or convex, or neither? This negotiation between wanting to find familiarity, and learning to see things not already known, reflects Jaray’s desire to create balance between tension and relaxation. The title, a reference to the formal gardens at the Château de Villandry in France, grounds the work in the visual world, and marks Jaray’s interest in marrying the geometric with the organic.

Gift of Karsten Schubert, London, 2019 (No. 2019.4)