“Psi“

by John Tunnard, 1938

Oil, gesso, gouache, pastel and wax crayon on board

Guggenheim musem, Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice

Psi is the twenty-third letter of the Greek alphabet. In quantum mechanics it denotes the time-position of the wave particle. It appears here three times. The stave with notes reminds us that John Tunnard was a drummer in jazz band. Perhaps PSI is improvisation like the jazz that he would listen to when he was painting.