Barns-Graham’s works from the mid-1990s through to her death
in 2004 are characterised by her bold use of saturated colour and dynamic,
broad brushstrokes. By shifting from oil to fast-drying acrylic, she was able
to layer colours and strokes repeatedly, allowing her, in her own words, to ‘let
rip’ and throw caution to the wind.

January 2001 is a prime example of this later experimentation
within Barns-Graham’s long and varied career. Fundamentally abstract, the work
does draw from her previous adoption of wave-like patterns and echoes of natural
forms found in her early works. Despite the essence of experimentation within
this work, there is certainly delicacy and nuance in its composition also. For
example, Barns-Graham’s chosen colour combinations were far from random, or
based solely on aesthetic choices, but instead related to her synaesthesia
condition, by which he associated colours with people, places and numbers.

Between November 1999 and May 2000, a retrospective show was
held at Tate St Ives for Barns-Graham’s works. The overwhelming positivity radiated
from this encouraged her to continue to carve her own artistic path.

This work is recorded as 'BGT2974' by the Barns-Graham Trust