In March 2025, Sullivan+Strumpf will celebrate its 20th anniversary and the gallery’s long-standing representation of one of the country’s most revered abstract painters, Sydney Ball. A founding artist of the gallery, Ball joined Sullivan+Strumpf in 2005 and remained an integral part of the gallery until his passing in 2017. In recognition, an exhibition featuring three key series from Ball’s career will be on show in Sydney - Structures, Infinex and Chromix Lumina.

Sydney Ball’s career over five decades was marked by a relentless pursuit into the expressive potential of abstraction. His artistic output defies easy categorisation; it is at once bold, lyrical, and rigorous. While each series shows monumental shifts in his approach, they all share a common thread: an enduring fascination with the emotional and intellectual resonance of colour. The works on show offer the opportunity to experience the evolution of Ball’s artistic practice throughout his time with Sullivan+Strumpf and demonstrate his ongoing, ever-expanding exploration of colour and form.

Structures: Abstract Architecture

At the turn of the 21st century, Ball embarked on his Structure series, a body of work that would redefine his approach to abstraction. Inspired by the inner logic of architecture—particularly the minimalist principles of figures like Mies van der Rohe and Zaha Hadid—Ball sought to merge the worlds of abstraction and architectural form to create direct and beautifully simplified forms. The work suggests the vastness of a building or the serenity of an architectural interior without overtly referencing physical structures. The result is a body of work that engages with the purest principles of abstraction yet is imbued with a profound sense of place and presence.

Infinex: Expanding the Possibilities of Form

By 2010, Ball was entering a new phase with the Infinex series. Returning to ideas first explored in the Modular paintings of the 1960s, the Infinex works reached a new level of complexity and sophistication. Ball reimagined the relationship between form, space, colour, and light to create geometric forms that engage in a dynamic, almost spatial way, shifting in and out of the picture plane.

The Infinex paintings are characterised by colour fields, often segmented by hard-edged geometric shapes that define and redefine the space within the canvas. The flatness of the surface is an important element, emphasising the immediacy of colour as an experience rather than as an illusion. There is no narrative, no figurative reference—just the pure, unmediated encounter between the viewer and the painting.

For Ball, the Infinex series was a continuation of his belief in the architectural potential of painting. These works are ‘architectural geometry in space,’ as he describes them, with their intricate interplay of shape and colour offering a tactile, almost physical presence. They embody Ball’s belief that colour abstraction can do more than simply represent a world of form; it can create a world of its own.

Chromix Lumina: The Evolution of Colour

By 2015, as Ball’s health began to decline, his artistic vision expanded in new, radical directions with the Chromix Lumina series. Collaborating with Urban Art Projects (UAP), he embraced new materials such as aluminium and automotive enamel, enabling him to continue working on a large scale despite physical limitations. These later works represent his deepening engagement with light, dynamism, and the emotional potency of colour.

In Chromix Lumina, Ball presents colour as the very substance of the work to create paintings that seem to pulse with energy. With their radiant glow and refined, minimalistic forms, these works are not merely visual objects; they are moments of pure perception, where the boundaries of the medium seem to dissolve. Through his luminous palette, Ball conjures a world of chromatic energy, challenging the viewer to experience the work viscerally.

A Legacy of Colour and Form

Sydney Ball’s contribution to abstract art lies not only in his mastery of colour but in his ability to transform the language of abstraction into an experience that transcends the visual. From the architectural purity of the Structures to the dynamic energy of Chromix Lumina, Ball’s work continues to speak to the essence of human perception and the profound impact of colour on our emotional landscape.

This exhibition marks not just a celebration of Ball’s extraordinary time with Sullivan+Strumpf, but a reminder of Syd’s enduring impact on contemporary art. It invites us to engage with his works not as static objects, but as vibrant, ever-evolving encounters with colour, space, and light. In this way, Ball’s legacy continues to inspire, challenging us to see the world around us—and within us—in new and unexpected ways.