View the full exhibition online here
Victor Pasmore’s exhibition at the Redfern Gallery in 1948 saw his transformation from a leading exponent of English realism to standard bearer for a rigorous uncompromising abstraction. This was hailed as ‘the most revolutionary moment in post-war British Art’ by critic and historian Herbert Read and it earned Pasmore admiration and antagonism in equal measure. Pasmore called for a re-engagement with the international modernism of the 1930s in order to create a formal language for a new post-war age shaken by a spirit of reconstruction. Based on a return to first principles of geometry, mathematics, and science, this found expression in Pasmore’s paintings and wall reliefs of the 1950s and early 1960s with their severe forms and limited colour palette. While this may have been expected from the recently converted ‘hair-shirt prophet’ of abstraction, this may come as a surprise to a visitor to the gallery for this show where graceful forms and lyrical colour characterise the majority of works on display.
This show is witness to an endlessly compelling and hugely significant figure in post-war British art. Pasmore sought to give voice to a new age with a sustained exploration of line, colour and harmony. His embrace of graphic media and the collaborations that this entailed are of pivotal importance and gave fresh impetus to this project. The result is a ravishing testament to the possibilities of print.
- Vincent Eames, 2023
