Retrospective Celebrates Radical Painter
A major retrospective of the work of Gillian Ayres, one of Britain's most radical female artists, has opened at The Box in Plymouth, offering a riot of colour described as a tonic for gloomy times. The exhibition, titled A Life in Colour, spans seven decades and aims to re-examine her legacy.
Hannah Hooks, contemporary art curator at The Box, called Ayres formidable and brilliant. 'Her fearless commitment to painting is something to be celebrated,' she said. 'She came of age in a postwar British art world dominated by men and remained entirely faithful to painting as it went in and out of fashion.'
Colour as Spiritual Experience
Hooks noted that installing the paintings was a privilege. 'The colour knocks you off your feet. It’s incredible to be surrounded by it and to sense the movement of Gillian’s body, the way she’s creating balance and tension. There’s chaos and beauty in this riot of colour.' Ayres described colour as making her feel heady, almost a spiritual experience.
The exhibition is seen as a chance to think about the power of art to communicate emotion non-verbally, especially at a time when creative subjects are under-funded.
Early Works and Rediscovered Murals
Born in London in 1930, Ayres was inspired by Turner, Picasso, and Pollock. The show includes a landscape from her teens and murals created in the 1950s for a north London school dining hall. The murals were covered with wallpaper and rediscovered in near-perfect condition.
Later works from her studio in north Devon feature vibrant colours applied so thickly the scent of oil paint lingers. Her son, Sam Mundy, recalled struggles to transport large pieces: 'We used to have to borrow an old pickup truck and two people would sit in the back holding on to the paintings.'
Avoiding Intellectualization
Ayres did not want viewers to intellectualize her work or search for meaning. Hooks emphasized: 'I think it’s really important in the world at the moment to find the space and time to look, to observe, to enjoy using your eyes.'
The exhibition runs until 4 October at The Box, which recently won the Art Fund museum of the year award.
