Ben Nicholson: From the Studio

Fascinating exhibition at Pallant House Gallery looking at how Ben Nicholson’s art was shaped by objects he kept in his studio.

This was a beautifully laid out show with excellent explanations. I loved the fact it included objects from the studio as well as the pictures that feature them. As a lot of the art is abstract I’m not sure I would have spotted those objects if they’d not been there. I loved a striped section of one work which you realised was a jug which was in the show nearby.

The show also explained the changes in his art well including how his first relief came about due to the accidental loss of gesso from a prepared canvas. It also looked at the different places he lived and how that influenced his work.

My favourite picture was the attached of Mousehole from 1947. I loved the way it combines a real landscape with abstract shapes based on things in his studio almost giving the impression of looking out through a window with object on the window ledge.

Closes 24 October 2021

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