23 February 2006

Patrick Venton

A bit of Modern british art for you now. A new exhibition of the abstract work of Birmingham Artist Patrick Venton (1925-1987) at Mondern British Artists.

I'm not familiar with Benton's work but was sent the exhibition catalogue and I think it looks really fascinating stuff. The 1950's when venton was in his heydey was a great time for abstract art in Britain. A lot of the artists who were well know then are little known now including my personal favourite from that period Frank Avray Wilson (still alive and still painting at the age of 92).

I will definitely get along to this exhibition once it opens. Here are the details:

'A Point of Departure' (Venton's own phrase) offers the first broad survey of Venton's art in more than forty years. Presented are an ambitious group of paintings created between 1952 and 1964, sensuously executed in heavy impasto, tirelessly applied and reapplied with a palette knife, the paint surface subtly multi-layered so the original subject matter is transfigured (the Point of Departure) into a quite magical new reality - one approaching pure abstraction. Fascinated by the play of light on form, his 'subjects', whether pots, pans and bottles on the studio table or rock formations, would be radically abstracted into vibrant, shimmering compositions of fluctuating light and tone. He would revisit a painting, continuously refining and reworking the surface, and the fertile inventiveness in terms of composition and colour in these works is joyously impressive.

We look forward to welcoming you to the gallery, which is literally a few minutes walk from Baker Street tube station.

MODERN BRITISH ARTISTS
49 Chiltern Street
Marylebone
London
W1U 6LY

Tel: 020 7487 3550
info@modernbritishartists.co.uk
www.modernbritishartists.co.uk

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