Morning Flight
Oil on Canvas 25 x 28 ins (65 x 72 cm) cm. 1983 In the collection of the Bethlem Museum of the Mind
Bryan Charnley found sleep a great refuge. The “Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of time” was also a source of imagery and the artist recorded and drew on his dreams as a source of imagery and inspiration. This painting seems to celebrate the power of dreams to take the sleeper away from his mundane and bounded existence, represented here by the claustrophobic wallpaper of the room. In contrast the dream window opens onto a wide blue sky crossed by a skein of swans, a beautiful image of freedom. Note also how the quality of light changes on the wall paper by the window. Daylight is a lot cooler and generally brighter than artificial light.
