Richard Smith (British,1931-2016) Two of A Kind 1A - Light...

Hammer

£170

Richard Smith (British,1931-2016)
Two of A Kind 1A - Light blue cross, 1978
Lithograph on paper
Numbered 41/80, signed and titled in pencil by the artist
70 x 103cm ( 27.5" x 40.5")

Richard Smith (British b 1931-2016) defies easy categorisation. Known as one of the fathers of Pop art, in his Tate retrospective in 1975 he was described by critic Barbara Rose as ‘at once in and out of touch with the currents of the mainstream’. With essays from David Alan Mellor, Chris Stephens and Alex Massouras, this new study is intended to reignite discourse around this diverse artist, whose impressive oeuvre is fertile territory for a new reassessment.

Richard Smith was one of the most celebrated figures in British painting. Having earned acclaim relatively early in his life, his first retrospective opened at London’s Whitechapel Art Gallery in 1966, when he was just thirty-four. Smith’s brilliance stemmed from his negotiation between imagery from popular culture and a consistent commitment to abstraction. He tested the boundaries and potentialities of painting, advertising, film, TV and popular music, and later the natural realm would offer inspiration for his art.

Yet, by 1975, his large abstract paintings seemed out of step with the prevailing mood of the art world. The result? For an artist held in such high regard among his colleagues, collectors and critics, he ultimately failed to get the degree of recognition he deserved. Richard Smith: Artworks 1954-2013 raises new questions about why this may have been the case, and proposes a reversal of an historical oversight.

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