Set against a pale green ground, Bill Hammond’s Ancestral E features a variety of mythical beasts that are a fusion of human, animal and bird elements. The largest three figures who dominate the composition have recognisably human faces but a multitude of avian heads is seen protruding from the backs of their skulls. Smaller winged creatures fly through the middle of the piece, some of which have ornithological features along with human arms, seahorse bodies and serpentine tails. However, what could potentially be a nightmarish illustration of a mutant world is obviated by Hammond’s virtuoso use of chromatic subtleties, decorative patterning and contrasting brushwork that produces a harmonious composition and a painting which is serene overall. Rather than having realistic flesh tones or feathers, each of the creatures is indelibly inked with a series of plant and tree motifs. Running over their bodies in delicate rhythms, these organic designs add a pastoral facet to the work by linking the creatures to the natural world while also heightening the dreamlike quality of the painting. In contrast to the controlled brushwork seen in these passages, thin lines of paint are allowed to run and trickle throughout the work. As is typical of Hammond, his painted creatures appear oblivious to one another as well as showing no awareness of the viewer. Entering the canvas from all four sides with a sense of purpose and determination, his fantastical hybrid forms swirl around the parameters of the work and glide through the centre. The plain background of the piece is only slightly modulated by some visible brush strokes, creating the effect of a seemingly depthless realm within which the forms gently recede and come forward. Ancestral E is blanketed by an eerie yet magnetic calmness, a quality which can often be expected of Hammond’s work. It is the result, in this painting, of his use of a rather subdued palette and of the self-contained nature of his figures who allow the viewer to observe them with quiet acquiescence. Ultimately, Hammond presents a skilful snapshot of his phantasmagorical world of mythological creatures who shift and move to their own tempo and time. Jemma Field