A vibrant new exhibition celebrating the life and work of acclaimed British artist Gillian Ayres has opened at The Box in Plymouth. Titled 'A Life in Colour', the retrospective aims to immerse visitors in the artist's distinctive world of rich hues and textures, offering a welcome antidote to the current gloomy climate.
Gillian Ayres, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 88, was known for her unyielding dedication to painting and her profound connection to colour. Hannah Hooks, contemporary art curator at The Box, described Ayres as both 'formidable and brilliant', highlighting her fearless commitment to her craft in a post-war British art scene often dominated by male artists. The exhibition seeks to elevate Ayres' profile, making her work more widely recognised beyond the art world.
The installation of Ayres' paintings has been a 'privilege', according to Hooks, who noted the overwhelming impact of the colours. She explained that Ayres herself spoke of feeling 'giddy' and experiencing almost spiritual moments when engaging with colour, suggesting that the exhibition is an opportunity to appreciate art's non-verbal communication of emotion. This comes at a time when creative subjects are often underfunded and underrepresented, making the show a powerful champion of imagination.
Born in London in 1930, Ayres was inspired by artistic giants such as Turner, Picasso, and Pollock. She made significant contributions to arts education alongside her own artistic practice. After periods in London and North Wales, she settled in North Devon for the last three decades of her life, where her studio was famously described as a 'cheery muddle' of paint and canvases. Her deep connection to the English West Country, particularly its dramatic landscape and coast, is reflected in her later works.
The exhibition showcases a vast array of Ayres' work, spanning seven decades. This includes a landscape painted during her teenage years and murals from the 1950s that once adorned a North London school dining hall. These murals, fortunately only covered by wallpaper, were later rediscovered in near-perfect condition. Visitors will also encounter the artist's later, expansive works, some so thickly painted that the scent of oil paint still lingers, reflecting the physical effort involved in their creation. Ayres' son, Sam Mundy, recounted the challenges of moving these large pieces from their rural cottage, often requiring an old pickup truck and people holding the canvases in the back.
Gillian Ayres: A Life in Colour is on display at The Box in Plymouth until 20 September. The exhibition offers a chance for the public to engage with the legacy of a truly radical British female artist and experience the unadulterated joy she found in colour.