Fred WILLIAMS
Australia 1927 – Australia 1982
England 1951-56

Swashway 1975-76
oil on canvas
signed: l.l.
122.2 (h) x 132.1 (w) cm
Private collection
© estate of Fred Williams

The Swashway is a narrow strip of land between Erith and Dover Islands in Bass Strait that becomes submerged by water during high tide. Swashwayis one of Williams’s major paintings inspired by his visit to Erith Island in 1974. Here he takes an aerial view of the Swashway at low tide. Its creamy white and orange form cuts through the sea. The sprinkling of white shapes radiate out towards us, giving the picture a sense of crackling vitality, complemented by the daring use of deep emerald and acid green.