Ruth Asawa wire art

Ruth Asawa was an influential American artist renowned for her innovative wire sculptures encapsulating her unique artistic vision and personal history. Her work serves as a poignant commentary on themes of identity, race, and equality, making her one of the prominent figures in America’s art scene.

Early Life and Education

Born on January 24, 1926, in San Francisco, California, Ruth Asawa grew up in a Japanese American family. Her early experiences as a child of Japanese immigrants, especially during World War II when her family was interned, shaped her perspective on race and identity. These experiences informed her artistic worldview, prompting her explorations of form and material in her later works. Asawa’s education at Black Mountain College from 1946 to 1949 exposed her to various artistic practices and philosophies, fostering her creativity and promoting her understanding of art as a medium for social commentary.

Wire Sculptures

Asawa is best known for her intricate wire sculptures, characterized by their looping forms and biomorphic shapes. These sculptures evolved from her early experiments with wire crochet inspired by her biology classes, where diagrams depicted the complexities of life. Her biomorphic works evoke imagery of dividing cells and primordial forms, suggesting a connection between the biological processes that underpin all life and her reflections on racial equality. ​The sculptures exemplify Asawa’s ability to transform simple materials into profound expressions of her thoughts on life, nature, and social justice.​

Ruth Asawa’s wire sculptures are deeply rooted in her personal experiences, education, and the broader context of social issues such as race and identity. The influences that shaped her distinct artistic approach can be categorized into various key aspects.

Educational Influences

Ruth Asawa’s time at Black Mountain College from 1946 to 1949 played a pivotal role in inspiring her wire sculptures. During her studies, she encountered various artistic philosophies and techniques, including concepts involving organic forms and abstraction. Asawa credits her biology classes, where illustrations of invertebrates and cellular structures were prominent, for her initial inspiration. Her earliest wire works were directly influenced by diagrams and images from her biology textbooks such as “The Invertebrata” and “Winchester Zoology,” leading her to explore the connections between art, nature, and life forms.

Personal Experiences

Asawa’s life experiences, particularly her internment as a Japanese American during World War II, significantly shaped her worldview and artistic expression. This period of her life instilled in her a profound sense of the importance of identity and equality. The themes of displacement and resilience echoed throughout her work, as she aimed to reinterpret her personal history and cultural heritage into universal symbols of existence and connection through her wire sculptures.

Thematic Exploration

The aesthetic and thematic explorations that characterize Asawa’s work are also evident in the biomorphic forms that she created. Her sculptures evoke imagery of life processes such as division and growth, resonating with her reflections on racial equality and social justice. The fluid, interwoven nature of her wire pieces suggests interconnectedness, serving as a metaphorical representation of how all life is intertwined, regardless of race or background.

Art as Social Commentary

​Asawa’s wire sculptures serve not only as artistic expressions but also as forms of social commentary.​ In a time marked by racial discrimination, her work pushed against the boundaries of conventional art and challenged the prevailing narratives surrounding race. By utilizing a material as simple as wire and transforming it into intricate and evocative forms, Asawa’s art communicated powerful messages about equality and humanity without needing a vocal platform.

Through these influences, Ruth Asawa’s wire sculptures emerged as a synthesis of her educational background, personal experiences, and thematic concerns, enabling her to forge an artistic path that highlights the importance of race and identity in contemporary discourse.

Message of Racial Equality

As a Japanese American woman, Ruth Asawa’s art often grappled with the theme of racial equality. Her wire sculptures were a powerful tool to challenge and redefine the racial hierarchies that influenced art perception during her lifetime. Asawa’s works were not just a personal rebuttal to the racial characterizations of her art, but a universal call for equality. She intentionally crafted pieces that transcend cultural aesthetics, emphasizing the universality of life. This pursuit of equality is not just her personal journey, but a shared advocacy for inclusion and representation in the arts community.

Legacy

Ruth Asawa’s legacy is not confined to the past, but continues to resonate today. She is celebrated for her contributions to contemporary art and her pioneering spirit. Her works, once overlooked, have gained significant recognition in the art market, showcasing the evolving appreciation of her artistic expression. Museums and collectors now actively seek her sculptures, a testament to the enduring relevance of her message regarding equality and art’s role in society. Asawa’s work stands as a powerful reminder of the timeless capacity of art to convey profound social messages and inspire change.

How is Ruth Asawa’s message of racial equality reflected in contemporary art today

Ruth Asawa’s message of racial equality is echoed strongly in contemporary art, serving as a foundation for many contemporary artists advocating for social justice and inclusivity. This connection manifests through various artistic practices and movements that tackle themes of race, identity, and representation, building on Asawa’s pioneering approach.

Amplification of Marginalized Voices

\Contemporary art has witnessed a significant rise in artists utilizing their platforms to amplify marginalized voices and challenge racial inequalities. Artists like Kehinde Wiley and Ai Weiwei draw inspiration from Asawa’s commitment to addressing racial issues within their works. Wiley, known for his vibrant portraiture that showcases Black subjects in heroic postures, gestures to the importance of representation that Asawa championed throughout her career. Similarly, Weiwei’s work often critiques oppressive regimes, thus highlighting the intersection of art and activism, much like Asawa’s engagement with racial equality through art.

American Art

Ruth Asawa’s Early Wire Sculpture and a Biology of Equality

Mar 01, 2020

J. Vartikar et al.

Colorado Review

The Possibilities of a Line

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Lilly U. Nguyen et al.

Una declaración de «Marjorie Moss» en francés de 1932, publicada en «Abstraction-Création: Art Non-Figuratif’, número 1, París

French

Marlow Moss. 1931

puisque c’est le but de cet almanach d’introduire le public dans le domaine de l’art non-figuratif, je veux me limiter Ici a une brève explication des raisonnements qui m’ont poussée vers cette nouvelle plastique.

jusqu’aujourd’hui la peinture a employé comme moyen d’ex- pression les formes déjà faites par la nature. pourtant le but de l’artiste n’a jamais été de donner simplement une re- présentation de ces formes. l’artiste se sentait attiré vers les formes naturelles, parce que malgré l’évidente muabilité de leurs formes limitées, elles semblaient lui communiquer une vérité immuable et universelle. sans éprouver pourtant. le besoin d’approfondir cette vérité. il l’acceptait comme un mystère.

mais le peintre moderne ne se contents plus de ce sentiment de mystère. il suit ce raisonnement si en effet les formes naturelles contiennent un élément d’une vérité universelle et immuable, cela veut dire alors que ces formes sont compo sées de deux éléments, c’est-à-dire d’un élément changeable. en tant qu’elles sont formes visibles, et d’un élément inchan- geable en tant qu’elles appartiennent à cette vérité univer- selle, et qui n’est pas visible. leur vraie valeur ne se trouve donc pas dans leur forme visible mais dans la relation qui existe entre cette forme et l’univers. la tâche de l’homme. est donc d’approfondir sa conscience de l’univers afin de pouvoir établir l’équilibre de rapports qui doit exister mu tuellement entre ces formes visibles et l’invisible. formé une fois une conception mentale de l’univers il ne pourra plus se servir des formes naturelles pour exprimer cette conception, parce que ces formes naturelles et limitées. n’ayant qu’une valeur relative témoignent de cette vérité sans l’exprimer en sa totalité.

le peintre a done été obligé de se créer une nouvelle plasti- que. voilà ce que l’art non-figuratif cherche à accomplir. 1 veut construire la plastique pure qui pourra exprimer en totalité la conscience de l’artiste envers l’univers.

English

Marlow Moss. 1931
since it is the purpose of this almanac to introduce the public to the field of non-figurative art, i will limit myself here to a brief explanation of the reasons which led me to this new plasticity.
until now, painting has employed as a means of ex- pression the forms already made by nature. yet the artist’s aim has never been simply to give a re- presentation of these forms. the artist felt drawn to natural forms, because despite the obvious mutability of their limited forms, they seemed to communicate to him an unchanging and universal truth. yet without feeling the need to delve deeper into this truth. he accepted it as a mystery.

but the modern painter is no longer content with this sense of mystery. he follows this line of reasoning if indeed natural forms contain an element of universal, unchanging truth, then this means that these forms are composed of two elements, i.e. a changeable element insofar as they are visible forms, and an unchanging element insofar as they belong to this univer- sal truth, which is not visible. their true value therefore lies not in their visible form, but in the relationship that exists between this form and the universe. man’s task is therefore to deepen his awareness of the universe in order to establish the balance of relationships that must exist mutually between these visible forms and the invisible. once he has formed a mental conception of the universe, he will no longer be able to use natural forms to express this conception, because these natural and limited forms, having only a relative value, bear witness to this truth without expressing it in its totality.
This is what non-figurative art seeks to achieve. 1 wants to build the pure plastic that can fully express the artist’s awareness of the universe.

In 1932, Moss wrote ‘…natural forms contain, in effect, an element of an unchanging and universal truth, this means that these forms are composed of two elements, that is, one changeable element, in that they are visible forms, and one unchangeable element, in that they belong to this universal truth, which is not visible. Their true value is therefore not found in their visible form but in the relation that exists between this form and the universe… [I aim] to construct pure plastic art that will be able to express in totality the artist’s consciousness of the universe.’

Moss saw Constructivism as an artistic lingua franca that overrides both personality and biography.

Españaol

Marlow Moss. 1931

“No soy pintor, no veo formas, sólo veo espacio, movimiento y luz” – Marlow Moss,

El pintor moderno ya no se conforma con este sentido del misterio. Si las formas naturales contienen, efectivamente, un elemento de verdad universal e inmutable, esto implica que dichas formas están constituidas por dos elementos: uno cambiante, al ser formas visibles, y otro inmutable, al pertenecer a una verdad que no es visible. Su verdadero valor, entonces, no radica en la forma visible, sino en la relación entre esa forma y el universo. El propósito del ser humano es profundizar su conciencia del universo para poder establecer el equilibrio entre las relaciones que existen entre lo visible y lo invisible. Una vez que se ha formado una concepción mental del universo, ya no será posible utilizar las formas naturales para expresarla, ya que, al ser limitadas y relativas, las formas naturales solo dan testimonio de esa verdad sin poder expresarla plenamente.

Esto es lo que busca el arte no figurativo: construir una plástica pura que pueda expresar de manera completa la conciencia del artista sobre el universo. Marlow Moss, 1931.

Dado que el objetivo de este almanaque es introducir al público en el campo del arte no figurativo, me limitaré a ofrecer una breve explicación sobre las razones que me llevaron a esta nueva forma de arte plástico. Hasta ahora, la pintura ha utilizado las formas ya presentes en la naturaleza como medio de expresión. Sin embargo, el objetivo del artista nunca ha sido simplemente reproducir estas formas. El artista se sintió atraído por las formas naturales porque, a pesar de la evidente mutabilidad de sus límites, parecían comunicarle una verdad inmutable y universal. No obstante, sin la necesidad de profundizar en esta verdad, la aceptó como un misterio.

En 1932, Moss escribió “«”…las formas naturales contienen, en efecto, un elemento de una verdad inmutable y universal, lo que significa que estas formas se componen de dos elementos, es decir, un elemento cambiante, en el sentido de que son formas visibles, y un elemento inmutable, en el sentido de que pertenecen a esta verdad universal, que no es visible. Por tanto, su verdadero valor no se encuentra en su forma visible, sino en la relación que existe entre esta forma y el universo… [Mi objetivo es construir un arte plástico puro que sea capaz de expresar en su totalidad la conciencia que el artista tiene del universo».
Moss veía el Constructivismo como una lengua franca artística que anula tanto la personalidad como la biografía.”

Native American art in the United States and Canada is a rich and varied tradition that includes paintings, carvings, pottery, woven rugs and blankets, silver jewelry, and more.

Native Tribes Art is rich, diverse, and deeply connected to cultural, spiritual, and historical practices. Each tribe has unique artistic traditions, materials, and symbolism that reflect their ways of life, beliefs, and relationship with nature. Here’s an overview of the art from various Native tribes across the United States and Canada:

1. Navajo (Diné) Art

One of the largest Native American tribes, the Navajo, is known for its intricately woven rugs and blankets, silver jewelry, and sand paintings. Their weaving techniques often incorporate geometric patterns and symbols representing harmony and balance. Navajo jewelry, especially turquoise pieces, is recognized for its detailed silverwork and use of symbolic motifs such as the thunderbird.

2. Hopi Art

The Hopi, from the Southwestern United States, are renowned for their pottery and Kachina dolls. Their pottery, often featuring geometric designs and symbols related to the spiritual and natural worlds, holds significant cultural value. Kachina dolls, representing spirits, are used in Hopi ceremonies to teach children about the belief system and cultural practices. The Hopi also create masks for ceremonial dances, often painted with symbolic designs.

3. Sioux (Lakota, Dakota, Nakota) Art

The Sioux tribes are known for their beadwork, quillwork, and leather goods. Their artwork, often depicting animals, spiritual symbols, and imagery reflecting their nomadic lifestyle and close relationship with nature, serves both functional and symbolic purposes. Beaded moccasins, decorative items, and war shields are examples of Sioux art that not only serve practical functions but also carry deep symbolic meanings.

4. Cherokee Art

The Cherokee are known for their basket weaving, pottery, and beadwork. Their pottery often includes intricate geometric patterns, while their beaded garments and regalia are essential in cultural and ceremonial contexts. Cherokee art emphasizes themes of balance, nature, and community.

5. Iroquois Confederacy (Haudenosaunee) Art

The Iroquois Confederacy, consisting of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora nations, is known for its wampum belts and beadwork. Wampum, made of shells, was used as currency and a way to record important treaties and historical events. The Iroquois also made beautiful birch bark baskets and carved wooden masks used in their religious ceremonies.

6. Zuni Art

The Zuni, a Pueblo people from New Mexico, are known for their silver jewelry, turquoise work, and pottery. Zuni fetish carvings, small sculptures representing animals and spirits, are highly prized for their detailed craftsmanship. Zuni pottery is often decorated with symbolic and geometric patterns, and their turquoise jewelry incorporates intricate silverwork.

7. Pueblo Art

The Pueblo peoples, including the Hopi, Zuni, and Taos, are famous for their pottery and woven textiles. Pueblo pottery often features intricate, geometric designs, and woven rugs are highly valued for their bold, symmetrical patterns. Pueblo art is deeply connected to the spiritual practices of the community, often representing religious symbols or natural elements.

8. Tlingit Art

The Pacific Northwest Coast Tlingit people are renowned for their wood carving, totem poles, and masks. These works of art often represent animals and spirits and serve ceremonial functions, including potlatches. The Tlingit also produce embroidered garments and woven baskets that reflect their culture’s deep connection to the natural world.

9. Nez Perce Art

The Nez Perce, originally from the Pacific Northwest, are known for their beadwork, quillwork, and horse culture artifacts. They also create beautifully decorated hides featuring animals and elements of the natural world. Nez Perce’s beadwork, with its vibrant colors and symmetrical designs, is often incorporated into clothing and accessories.

10. Blackfoot Art

The Blackfoot Confederacy, which includes the Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani nations, is known for its beadwork, buffalo-hide art, and quillwork. Blackfoot art often incorporates the buffalo, which is central to their nomadic lifestyle, as well as geometric patterns representing spiritual beliefs and the interconnectedness of all life.

11. Algonquin Art

The Algonquin people of the northeastern U.S. and Canada are known for their basket weaving, beadwork, and wood carvings. Their art often features animals, geometric patterns, and natural elements. Beaded garments, including moccasins and headdresses, are central to their artistic tradition.

12. Shoshone Art

The Shoshone, from the Great Basin and Western U.S., are known for their beadwork, basketry, and rock art. Shoshone rock art is often found on cliffs and rock faces. It features geometric designs and representations of animals, symbolizing spiritual and natural connections.

13. Tewa Art

The Tewa, a group of Pueblo people, are renowned for their pottery, which features intricate, symbolic, and geometric patterns. Tewa pottery is often used in religious ceremonies and is central to their cultural identity. Mural paintings and woven textiles are also essential aspects of Tewa art.

14. Haida Art

The Haida people, from the Pacific Northwest Coast, are known for their elaborate wooden totem poles, masks, and carvings. Haida art typically incorporates animal and spiritual motifs, representing their ancestors, clan identity, and deep connection to the environment.

15. Mi’kmaq Art

The Mi’kmaq people of eastern Canada are known for their intricate beadwork, basketry, and wampum belts. Their art often depicts animals, spiritual symbols, and scenes from everyday life. Birch bark scrolls record their history, while quilted textiles and woven garments reflect their connection to nature.

Japanese Art

Japanese art is renowned for its deep connection to nature, spirituality, and Japan’s unique historical and cultural developments. It encompasses various styles and mediums, from ancient religious iconography to contemporary visual art. Traditional Japanese art forms include ink painting, woodblock prints, ceramics, and sculpture, which Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism heavily influenced. In modern times, Japanese art has seen a fusion of traditional and Western influences, resulting in a dynamic and evolving artistic landscape.

Muromachi Period (1392–1573)

The Muromachi period, a time of profound tranquility and spiritual depth, was marked by the development of Zen Buddhism in Japan, which greatly influenced the art of the time. The period saw the rise of ink painting (suiboku-ga) and the flourishing of the tea ceremony, both of which emphasized simplicity, subtlety, and an appreciation for nature. One of the most prominent art forms during this period was the development of Japanese ink painting, with artists like Sesshū Tōyō leading the way. Architecture also saw significant growth, with the construction of the iconic Zen gardens and the evolution of the shoe style of interiors. The art of this time conveyed a sense of tranquility, contemplation, and spiritual depth.

Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573–1603)

The Azuchi-Momoyama period, a time of political unification and cultural flourishing under the leadership of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu, was a period of art transformation. Heavily influenced by the military elite and their patronage, the visual arts were marked by lavish, ornate decoration and bold designs. Notable art forms included vibrant screen paintings (byōbu), colorful Noh theater costumes, and tea ceremony utensils. The period also saw the introduction of Western influences, especially in portraiture and religious art, as Portuguese missionaries and traders arrived in Japan.

Edo Period (1603–1867)

Under the Tokugawa shogunate’s rule, the Edo period was a time of peace, isolation, and social stability. This allowed for the flourishing of various forms of art, particularly ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), which depicted scenes of everyday life, landscapes, and beautiful women. The Edo period also saw the rise of kabuki theater, sumo wrestling, and the continued development of the tea ceremony. A strong focus on harmony, order, and beauty characterized the period. Artists such as Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige became famous for their prints, which influenced Japanese culture and Western art.

Meiji Period (1868–1912)

The Meiji period marked the end of Japan’s feudal system and the beginning of its rapid modernization and Westernization. This transformation significantly impacted the arts as Japan moved from traditional art forms to Western techniques and ideas. Western-style painting (yōga) became popular alongside the continued production of traditional Japanese art. Artists like Yokoyama Taikan and the Nihonga school sought to merge Western realism with traditional Japanese aesthetics. During this period, Japan was also fascinated with industrial design, as reflected in architecture and applied arts.

Taishō Period (1912–1926)

The Taishō period was a time of political, social, and cultural experimentation in Japan. The influence of Western modernism, combined with a desire to preserve traditional Japanese art forms, led to the development of new movements, such as the Japanese Art Deco and the emergence of avant-garde artists. Artists like Yokoyama Taikan continued to build upon the fusion of Western and Japanese art traditions. The Taishō era also saw the rise of modernist architecture and design, and many artists began to explore more personal and expressive subject matter, reflecting a sense of individualism and modernization in Japanese society.

Shōwa Period (1926–1989)

The Shōwa period was one of the most significant periods in modern Japanese history, marked by tremendous social, cultural, and political change. The early part of the Shōwa period was influenced by Western art movements like Impressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism, while the post-World War II era saw the emergence of more abstract and experimental art forms. Artists like Yayoi Kusama, Isamu Noguchi, and Taro Okamoto became internationally recognized. Traditional art forms were also revived and modernized, reflecting a dynamic period of artistic exploration that engaged with Japan’s heritage and its place in the global art scene.

Ero Guro (Erotic Grotesque)

Ero Guro, short for “erotic grotesque” in Japanese, is a subversive and often disturbing art movement that emerged during the early 20th century, particularly during the Shōwa period. The movement explored themes of sexuality, death, and the macabre, often incorporating grotesque and surreal imagery. Ero Guro artists like the painter and illustrator Shoji Otomo and writer Edogawa Rampo aimed to challenge conventional ideas of beauty and morality, often blending eroticism with horror to create shocking yet captivating works. The movement reflected the growing disillusionment in post-war Japan and the desire to confront societal taboos and the darker aspects of human nature.

Ben Nicholson

To say that Ben Nicholson (1894-1982) had a complex relationship with his father would be an understatement. Both were artists, in Sir William Nicholson’s case a successful landscapist and portrait painter, who depicted the likes of Mark Twain and Rudyard Kipling. A man of Edwardian wit and flair, he was no fan of his son’s avant-garde endeavours — and told him so. On visiting an exhibition of Ben’s in 1935, William asked sneerily, ‘Why don’t you paint proper pictures?’

At the time, Nicholson fils was producing the white abstract reliefs that are today regarded as his great contribution to Modernism. One of the largest and finest of these, 1936 (white relief), sold for £1,842,000 at Christie’s in London in March 2022.

The differences between the two men weren’t just artistic. During the First World War, Ben had missed out on military action because of asthma — and, for the best part of a year, attended a health spa in California. While he was away, his beloved mother Mabel died from Spanish flu. To make matters worse, shortly after his return to England, Ben lost his girlfriend Edie, too — to his newly widowed father. The young couple had met while students together at the Slade School of Art in 1910, but Edie ended up deciding that the older Nicholson was the one for her. In the autumn of 1919, she and William married.

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Ben Nicholson, O.M. (1894-1982), 1978 (still life with blue + stripes), 1978. Pencil, oil wash, gouache and ink on paper, shaped, on the artist’s prepared board. 13⅝ x 11½ in (34.6 x 29.3 cm). Sold for £12,600 on 17 October 2024 at Christie’s in London

According to Ben’s biographer, Sarah Jane Checkland, ‘The initial shock of betrayal gradually hardened into hatred for his father. Not only was he now determined to succeed as an artist, but to do so by pursuing a course that diametrically opposed that of his father… Hence his commitment to abstraction.’

The truth was probably more nuanced than that. For a start, Ben spent his career moving seamlessly back and forth between the figurative and the abstract, rather than being devoted to the latter.

The inspiration for his art extended far beyond his own family, too. His first works were still lifes painted in a naturalistic fashion, but new influences soon brought themselves to bear — notably Cezanne and the Cubists.

The influence of Cubism and Alfred Wallis

Nicholson first encountered Cubism through the works of Picasso, on a visit to Paris in 1921. Thereafter he started rendering his repertoire of jugs, glasses and other table-top objects as flat shapes on the picture plane. A fine example, July 25-47 (still life — Odyssey 2), was sold at Christie’s in 2021.

In later life, looking back on that period, Nicholson stated that ‘Cubism, once discovered, couldn’t be undiscovered.’ It was a movement that continued to inspire him at different points throughout his career.

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Ben Nicholson, O.M. (1894-1982), Aug 18-50 (Newlyn), 1950. Oil and pencil on board, on the artist’s prepared board. 13⅞ x 15 in (35.4 x 38.1 cm). Offered in the Modern British and Irish Art Evening Sale on 16 October 2024 at Christie’s in London

In the late 1920s, another major influence arrived, namely Alfred Wallis, a retired Cornish fisherman who doubled as a self-taught painter of naive port scenes. Nicholson would paint a host of landscapes — such as 1928 (cornish port) — inspired by Wallis’s playful distortion of scale and perspective.

It’s worth stressing, though, that his art never really followed a clear and obvious path. Nicholson was always too questing for that, often creating very different types or series of work at the same time.

The white reliefs

From 1934 to 1938, he made the most overtly abstract pieces of his career: the aforementioned white reliefs. These consisted of geometric shapes (predominantly circles) carved into a wooden board, which was painted all over in white.

Shortly before that period, Ben had left his first wife, the painter Winifred Nicholson, for the sculptor Barbara Hepworth, and it was when he casually picked up one of Hepworth’s tools one day that he hit upon the idea for his reliefs.

Although they’re nowadays considered a peak of his oeuvre, few of Nicholson’s peers appreciated the works. One rare admirer was the artist Paul Nash, who interpreted the reliefs metaphysically, as microcosms of the infinite which ‘should each be seen as something like a new world’.

Nicholson’s relationship with Mondrian

In the 1930s, Nicholson made several trips to Paris, visiting the studios of Mondrian, Braque and Brancusi, among others. With their simple geometric structure, his reliefs have an affinity with Mondrian’s famous ‘Grid’ paintings, and the two men would go on to become close friends — and neighbours.

In 1938, with the threat of war in mainland Europe looming, the Englishman convinced the Dutchman to settle near him in London. The pair lived a stone’s throw apart, in the suburb of Hampstead, with Mondrian frequently joining Nicholson, Hepworth (now his wife) and their young triplets for tea.

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Ben Nicholson, O.M. (1894-1982), 1940-42 (painting), 1940-42. Gouache on card. 9 x 9 in (22.8 x 22.8 cm). Sold for £113,400 on 16 October 2024 at Christie’s in London

At around the outbreak of the Second World War, however, Nicholson and Hepworth quit London for the picturesque town of St Ives in Cornwall. They begged Mondrian to go with them, but he declined, ultimately deciding to board a boat for New York, where he would spend the rest of his life.

Still life meets landscape

Nicholson remained in St Ives for the best part of two decades, enjoying its intense light and sea views. Perhaps his best-known works from this period are the paintings from the 1950s in which he inventively fused two genres: still life and landscape.

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Ben Nicholson, O.M. (1894-1982), Nov 61 (octagonal), 1961. Oil wash and pencil on board, on the artist’s prepared board. 35½ x 45½ in (90.2 x 115.6 cm). Sold for £126,000 on 17 October 2024 at Christie’s in London

Essentially, this entailed — in a single picture — superimposing an example of the former on an example of the latter. Nicholson thus collapsed the distinction between interior and exterior — and, under the influence of Cubism anew, replaced an illusionistic compositional space with a set of elegantly flattened forms and overlapping planes.

The most expensive artwork by Nicholson ever sold at auction — his 1957 painting, April 57 (Arbia 2) — is one of these still-life/landscape fusions. It fetched £3.75 million at Christie’s in London in 2016.

Guggenheim Award and art-world recognition

After many years in which he had struggled both for sales and recognition, the late 1940s and the 1950s saw a significant upturn for Nicholson — as if contemporary tastes had finally caught up with his radical creations.

In 1949, he was invited to create two large panels for the interior of the New Zealand Shipping Company’s new steamship, the M.V. Rangitane — one of which, October 1949 (Rangitane), sold for £1,002,000 at Christie’s in 2022.

In 1951, he produced a vast mural for the Festival of Britain. Three years later, he was asked to represent Britain at the Venice Biennale. Then, in 1957, he won the inaugural Guggenheim International Award for painting, receiving his prize and $10,000 cheque from President Eisenhower in the White House.

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Ben Nicholson, O.M. (1894-1982), Dec 1963 (Helmos), 1963. Oil on carved board, relief. 30¾ x 30¾ in (78 x 78 cm). Offered in the Modern British and Irish Art Day Sale on 17 October 2024 at Christie’s in London

By the 1960s, Nicholson was living in Switzerland, in a house overlooking Lake Maggiore, with his third wife, the photographer Felicitas Vogler. There he returned to his painted reliefs of the 1930s, albeit with slightly different results. The type of shape was now more varied than before, and the palette went beyond white to include earthy colours.

Works such as (1965) Olympia, its title referring to ancient ruins in Greece, and Nov 59 (landscape with monolith) illustrate the career-long distillation of forms in his work that Vogler described as ‘clarity and the great art of omission’.

Nicholson died in 1982, aged 87.

The market for Ben Nicholson

‘The market for his work today is well established,’ says Angus Granlund, Head of Evening Sale in the Modern British and Irish Art department at Christie’s. ‘Nicholson’s importance as an artist has long been accepted.’

Which Nicholsons are the most sought-after? ‘The white reliefs from the 1930s,’ says Granlund. ‘They’re extremely rare and the majority are held in major museum collections. However, the post-war paintings fusing still life and landscape are more typical and abundant, accounting for four of his top five prices achieved at auction.

‘This was an artist of international significance,’ he adds, ‘with a truly global audience.’