'Untitled'

Aubrey Williams explored pre-Columbian cultures and symbols in his works, in this piece the symbols are simplified rather than showing elaborate deities that can be found in his other works. The dominant symbol is the red and yellow circle with rectangular patterns: this could be an interpretation of the Maya calendar. In the bottom right corner the symbol for the number nine is depicted in red: a pictorial form of writing or glyph used by the Maya peoples of Mesoamerica. The flat bar is five and each dot on top is a one. Slightly off-centre is a strong vertical line that cuts the canvas, a central white line with red and purple paint on either side. Squares of red and purple are attached each side. This probably represents the Ceiba tree which was used in many Mesoamerican cultures as the world tree. This tree has three layers to represent life, afterlife and the heavenly realm. The central axis provides the way to travel between them.

Williams does not definitively represent these symbols but uses an abstract approach. After moving to the U.K. Williams became familiar with German Expressionism and Abstract Expressionism and these styles are used alongside the pre-Columbian influences, for example, his use of simplified shapes and the layering of paint to create texture and form.

The colours are bold, standing out from the ochre of the background. Mesoamerican cities were ornately decorated, bold colours used on almost all surfaces. Williams has incorporated this into his own work. However, there are also areas where he has smudged or splattered white paint over the work, interrupting the colours below. This creates an almost peeled effect, perhaps to mirror the loss of many of these cities which were abandoned and fell into disrepair or were destroyed by invaders.