Overview

Longlisted for the Berger Art History prize 2016 Kenneth Rowntree has always been highly regarded by those familiar with his work. The essays in this catalogue, which embrace new research and scholarship, reveal him to be an artist of great scope and variety. His earlywork reflects the inspiration and creative dialogue that came out of his friendship with Eric Ravilious (1903-1942) on account of whom Rowntree moved to Great Bardfield during the 1940s. During this period he was particularly preoccupied with Kenneth Clark's Recording Britain project. At the end of the war he joined the teaching staff at the Royal College of Art. In 1951 he was commissioned to undertake murals for the Lion and Unicorn Pavilion for the Festival of Britain. As Professor of Fine Art in Newcastle (1959-1980) he was at the epicentre of an important northern school of modernism that revolved around his friends Victor Pasmore (1908-1988) and Richard Hamilton (1922-2011). Even in retirement, his work, in its return to figuration from abstraction, displays his consistent qualities of humour and inventiveness. Rowntree's oeuvre is both influenced by and anticipates a wide variety of artistic styles, from Ravilious to David Hockney, from the Euston Road School to the Dadaism of Kurt Schwitters. His work, however, remains unmistakably his own. This catalogue is published on the occasion of the centenary of Rowntree's birth, and accompanies exhibitions at The Fry Art Gallery, Saffron Walden and Pallant House, Chichester. This is the first substantial reassessment of Rowntree's work since John Milner's monograph (2002). It is hoped that this current initiative will contribute futher to ensuring Rowntree the significant place he deserves within the history of 20th century British art.

Full Product Details

9780993088414

Table of Contents

Reviews

Author Information

Born in Stafford in 1965, Paul Liss is a fine art dealer and exhibition organiser. He joined Sotheby’s as a Bursary student prior to working for Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox. He has created numerous catalogues/exhibtions such as Stanley Lewis (Cecil Higgens, 2010), Alan Sorrell (John Soane Museum, 2013) Evelyn Dunbar (Pallant House, 2015), WWI and WWII (Morley Gallery London, 2014 and 2016). He founded Liss Llewellyn Fine Art in 1991. Harry Moore-Gwyn is an independent curator, dealer and writer on Modern British art. His previous shows have included Kenneth Rowntree (Pallant House Gallery and Fry Art Gallery) Laurie Lee (Royal Geographical Society) and Walter Bonner Gash (Alfred East Gallery).

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available