In this small oil on canvas of 1963 the central nude figure is typically androgynous. The influence of Matisse is discernible and the expressive power of colour within an apparently simple, symmetrical design would seem to be Kinley’ s paramount concern. Islamic art also influenced him as well as Indian art although he did not visit India until 1976. Nicolas de Stael was a key influence on Kinley, in the impasto blocks of layered colour seen in much of his work of the late 1950s and up until 1965. In the early 1960s Kinley changed from using a palette knife to using a brush. During this period his images became simpler and flatter. Standing Figure , 1963 may be thought of as an example of an intermediate period between the thickly textured early work applied with a palette knife and the later work of the 70s and subsequently, where paint is applied much more thinly. Kinley taught at St Martin’ s School of Art and Wimbledon School of Art. He became principal lecturer at Bath Academy of Art in 1975. He exhibited widely in Britain, New York and India. In 1982 he had a retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, and in 1986 a solo show at Kettle’ s Yard, Cambridge.

Peter Kinley: Paintings & Drawings , Osborne Samuel, London, May – June 2006, ill. p18 (7)