Executed in 2001, shortly before Paul Morrison’s nomination for the prestigious Jerwood Painting Prize, Bole stems from his celebrated series of monochromatic botanical paintings. Its title refers to the stem or trunk of a tree, and is borne out in Morrison’s bewitching tangle of branches. Using a combination of acrylic paint and digital manipulation techniques, the artist weaves together a variety of different sources, including scientific engravings and children’s book illustrations. Hovering on the verge of abstraction, the resulting works combine the aesthetics of Pop and Op Art with a graphic sensibility reminiscent of Aubrey Beardsley. Born in Liverpool in 1966, Morrison has exhibited internationally, with solo shows at institutions including Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh; the Hammer Museum of Art, Los Angeles; the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, and most recently at the Millennium Gallery in his hometown of Sheffield.