ROBERT OWEN

This Living Being That Is Colour
Art Gallery of New South Wales
28 June 2024 – 16 February 2025

In 'Cadence #1 (a short span of time)' 2003, artist Robert Owen devised his own chart to record his emotions over an 80-day period.

The piece was conceived as a response to the imprecise science of predicting the weather. 'I thought if they can measure atmosphere, I must be able to measure emotions,' explained Owen. 'So using a colour tabulation, I intuitively picked how I felt every half hour during the day.'

Robert Owen 'Cadence #1 (a short span of time)' 2003 synthetic polymer paint on canvas, Purchased 2004 © Robert Owen/Copyright Agency

This work – over 8 metres in length – forms part of our free collection display in association with #KandinskySydney. The exhibition, This Living Being That Is Colour features works by artists who share a belief in the power of colour and of abstraction, and is on show in the South Building until 4 February 2025.