During the 1970s, Jack Shadbolt painted some of his most ambitious works, including large multi-panelled “suites.” Scott Watson wrote, “These works were among the most ambitious of his entire career, not just in their scale but in their attempt to sustain a creative momentum through a period of time.” One example is Butterfly Transformation Theme 1981, a six-panel work in the collection of the Audain Art Museum.

Shadbolt was well known for working in series. Also, at times he would begin a work, put it aside for years, and then pick it up again, hence his works can have more than one date or a range of dates. Such is the case with Three Furies, a signature triptych with overtones of myth, ritual, and natural dynamism. In Roman myth, the Furies were three goddesses of vengeance and retribution. Here, the central figures suggest portraits set against a vivid magenta backdrop. The rich colours, fluid brush-work and energetic forms of this remarkable triptych offer endless fascination for the viewer.