Opposing Forces (diptych)

Pigment, ink, pastels on manjarpatta

30 x 36 inches (30 x 72 inches in total)

2026

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Displayed at the Affordable ArtFair in Hampstead, London with Goose & Varley in 2026.

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The theory of why opposite colours on the colour wheel look pleasing to the naked eye - 

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The phenomenon is largely driven by how our eyes percieve light and how our brain processes contrast. Inside our eyes, certain cells are excited by one colour but inhibited by its opposite. When you look at a vibrant blue, the "blue" signal is firing rapidly while the "orange" signal is surpressed. 

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Because these colours occupy completely different channels in our neurological wiring, they don't compete for the same spcae. Instead, they provide the maximum amount of simultaneous contrast, making each colour appear more vivid and "pure" than it would standing alone. 

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Blue is a short wavelength and orange is a medium-to-long wavelength. When placed together, they stimulate different sets of cone cells (S-cones for the blue and M/L-cones for orange) at high intensities. This creates a "vibration" effect where the border between the two colours seems to pop or glow. 

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We find these combinations "pleasing" because they offer visual clarity and the brain doesn't have to work hard to seperate the two.