Soaring Flight: Peter Lanyon’s Gliding

Interesting exhibition at the Courtauld Gallery of pictures by Peter Lanyon based on his experience of glider flying.

Lanyon used his glider flying to get a new view of the landscape and described these works as “aerial encounters with the land, sea and sky”. However he also felt they expressed the emotion of a moment.

The images were rather calming and ethereal with a collage like effect of scrapped back paint revealing pattern underneath. There were lots of lovely blue shades and I liked the way many of the titles described a weather effect. The hang was lovely in an open room with lots of space between them.

However I must admit they were a bit too abstract and expressive for me. I was pleased to have seen them on mass and learn more about the ideas behind them but I am not sure I would understand or respond to one of them on their own.

Closes 17 January 2015.

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