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Victor Pasmore 1908-1998 Relief Construction in White, Black and Ochre 1964-66 Oil, perspex, wood and formica 22 ½ x 20 inches (57 x 61 cm) PROVENANCE Purchased from Marlborough Gallery in 1966 by the present owner. |
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Remaining in the same private collection since it was acquired directly from Marlborough Gallery in 1966, Relief Construction in White, Black and Ochre is a rare example of Pasmore’s relief constructions to appear on the market, representing a key moment in his exploration of geometry, structure and the expanded language of abstract art. During the 1950s and 1960s, Victor Pasmore emerged as one of the most influential figures in the development of British abstract art. Having begun his career as a painter of lyrical figurative landscapes, Pasmore made a radical shift towards abstraction from 1943 with his use of pointillist techniques which dissolved representation progressively. By 1947 he abandoned figuration all together, embracing the principles of Constructivism and geometric abstraction, arriving at pure abstract forms in his relief constructions from 1952. Relief Construction in White, Black and Ochre combines painted surfaces with materials such as perspex, wood and formica, creating a carefully balanced arrangement of intersecting shapes and planes. The restrained palette - dominated by white, punctuated with black and ochre - emphasises the clarity of the structure and directs attention to the interplay between light, shadow and spatial depth. This is among the last constructions Pasmore made. From1966 he moved to Malta where the materials he needed were scarce, marking the end of this series of works. |