Mervyn Williams has described his paintings as being simultaneously both totally abstract and as representational as you can get. This paradoxical self-analysis certainly strikes a chord when considering the monochromatic, infinite space of the present work.

Williams' artistic trajectory encompasses a complex relationship with both the abstracted form, and his exploration of universal, non-representational consciousness. Since When offers a glimpse into the artist's perception of time, space and cosmic significance.

A visceral and tactile approach is applied to the surface of the work. This physical manipulation is not just a means of contributing to texturality, through the carefully constructed tautness of Since When but also offers an effective point of visual interest. The work's creases and illusory complexities, subsumed into a dialogue of subtle luminous exchange, manifest themselves differently according to environment, making it impossible to accurately represent in print or photograph.

My work is concerned with perception, the nature and interpretation of reality. I use subtle modulations of light and shade to create surfaces reminiscent of photography, spatially ambiguous, reflecting some other reality. I seek to re-examine the relationships between what we see and what we know, between empirical fact and deduction, reality and illusion. Mervyn Williams quoted in Contemporary Painting in New Zealand, Michael Dunn, Craftsman House, 1996

The planes of Mervyn Williams' paintings protrude, ripple and undulate but the play of light he coerces from his works is full of trickery and illusion. In the tradition of abstract artists such as Mark Rothko and Milan Mrkusich, Williams explores the boundaries of his chosen medium. Unlike these artists however, Williams defies the limits of the flat canvas surface, creating visual magic…a conjuring up of surrogate realities.