Under Construction

Austin / Desmond is pleased to present a collection of collages and constructions from a group of artists who - to a lesser or greater degree - used both mediums within their oeuvre.

The starting point for the exhibition is a recent acquisition of an early collage by Julian Trevelyan. Titled ‘The City’ and dating from 1937 it is very close in execution to a slightly later collage from 1938 titled ‘Bolton Mills’. Trevelyan used collage to great effect and ‘The City’ (most likely American taken from a photograph or film) has skyscrapers built of newspapers, coloured cards, doily’s and a discarded ticket from the Etruria Industrial Museum in Stoke-on-Trent. All these elements are bound together with glue, pen and ink. It is a work that represents Trevelyan’s experimentation and spirit of innovation that was a constant throughout his artistic life.

A 1974 collage by Prunella Clough utilises a typewriter ribbon and a rare Victor Pasmore Relief Construction from 1952 uses a small doorknob within the main image. A stunning 1957 collage by Robyn Denny and a small construction by Mary Martin is accompanied with further pieces by Roy Conn and Gillian Wise. Also on show are works by the German artists Gunther Uecker and Klaus Staudt and the Polish painter and constructivist, Henryk Stazewski.

* Please be aware that the Pasmore and Trevelyan will be on display at the British Art Fair from 20 Sept - 4 Oct.