Born in Middlesex, Bob Law devoted his life to painting and sculpting and is often considered to be the ‘founding father’ of British Minimalism. Although Law did not receive formal artistic training, he developed a passion for drawing and watercolour painting through the influence of his grandmother who instructed him as a child. In 1957 the artist relocated to St Ives, Cornwall where he painted and produced ceramic pots. As his style developed, he became greatly influenced by Mark Rothko and Barnett Newman and as such his work became decidedly more minimalist. In the mid-1960s Law made his most significant contribution to contemporary Minimalism with his series of ‘Black’ paintings. These paintings, though appearing entirely black, were in fact produced by painting layer upon layer of different colours to produce the desired effect. Later in his career, the artist focused on exploring sculptural forms.