Ken Reinhard’s 'Bi Cubed' is a still life reimagined through the lens of one of Australia’s most inventive post-war artists. Part painting, part sculpture and part visual sleight of hand, it transforms the traditional still life into something altogether more mischievous. A pioneer of Australian Pop Art, Reinhard emerged in Sydney during the 1960s as part of a generation that challenged the dominance of gestural abstraction, embracing instead the visual languages of Pop, Op Art, hard-edge geometry and emerging technologies. Throughout a career that spanned more than six decades, he remained a restless experimenter, moving effortlessly between painting, assemblage, sculpture and even early computer-generated imagery.

At the heart of the composition are two geometric forms that project boldly into the viewer’s space. Their crisp white planes are crossed by black bands that continue into the painted background, blurring the boundary between real and depicted space. The result is a work that feels characteristic of Reinhard's enduring fascination with perception itself—how the eye constructs meaning, depth and order from what it sees.

Then comes the lemon.

Long a staple of the still-life tradition, Reinhard’s lemon serves as both anchor and punchline. Nestled against an arrangement of hard-edged forms and optical devices, it introduces a note of humour and humanity. The fruit’s organic irregularity plays beautifully against the rigorous geometry surrounding it, proving that even the most disciplined abstraction can leave room for a little zest.

The title itself hints at Reinhard’s wit. 'Bi Cubed' is both mathematical and playful, suggesting multiplication, duplication and dimensional expansion. Like much of his best work, it rewards close looking, revealing fresh visual relationships with every encounter. Clever without being cold, and rigorous without losing its sense of fun, Bi Cubed exemplifies Reinhard’s unique ability to make the eye think while keeping the imagination delightfully occupied.

Ken REINHARD (1936 - 1924)
'Bi Cubed ' c.1965
mixed media on board
Dimensions: 50 x 60 x 24 cm
Comes with Letter of Provenance
Artists own label verso
Condition:Very Good.
(c) The Artist or Assignee