Story: Painting

Like much of Philip Clairmont's work in the 1970s, this triptych presents a frightening encounter with his domestic environment. Clairmont commonly painted at night in artificial light, with the music blaring and with the assistance of drugs or alcohol. Here we see three different depictions of a staircase. The stairs, the bannisters and the swinging light create a sense of dizzying movement and anxiety common in his work. Primary colours – reds, yellows, blues and blacks – were Clairmont's typical palette.