Islands and Sea

This is one of five paintings the artist ( born 1950) produced during his residency at the Museum of London in January 1993. Wen Biao Mao's aim was to link the past and the present, drawing inspiration from the Museum's exhibits and the response they prompted from visitors.

Here, the 'islands', depicted in thick brown impasto, are remnants from the past, including the City wall and ruined church towers. The 'sea' is represented by the mass of modern glazed office blocks, which absorb the blues, greys and pinks of the sky. The Museum of London, a low modern building clearly labelled, links both past and present.