Prints & Multiples: Color Theory

Lot Note:

British artist Patrick Heron (1920-1999) is well known for his significant contributions to abstract art and his experimentation with color. Born in Leeds to an artistic family who nurtured his ambitions, he studied at the Slade School of Art in London from 1937 to 1939 before serving in WWII. His experiences in the war influenced his views on the importance of the relationship between painting and the physical environment. This role of the environment would continue to influence his work even when his work shifted to abstraction in 1956, as precipitated by a move to Cornwall. Heron would remain in Cornwall for the rest of this life, working with the St. Ives School, whose members likewise emphasized abstraction.

Along with the relationship to the environment, experimentation with color was the primary driving force of Heron’s work. He was particularly interested in the ways color could elicit an emotional response, how the juxtaposition of colors affected the colors’ optical impact, and how these colors could likewise suggest both spatial relationships and form.

Artists continue to be impacted by Heron’s innovations with color and his works are highly sought after in private collections. His artworks are held in public institutions such as the Tate Collections in London and St. Ives, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and National Galleries, Scotland.  He has had a solo show at The National Portrait Gallery - London and has shown at Serpentine Galleries, Dallas Museum of Art, and Whitechapel Gallery.