National Museum, Cardiff
Sat 8 Apr – Sun 3 Sept
The National Museum in Cardiff will be showcasing the talents of one of Britain’s most celebrated and respected abstract painters from April: Gillian Ayres OBE. The Turner Prize nominated artist’s works are full of exuberance and passion, as if possessed by spirits whose sole purpose is to paint, paint, and paint again.
Born in 1930, Ayres became part of an explosion of abstract painting in the UK in the 20th century, part of a larger response to parallel developments in the American and European art worlds. She has previously had solo exhibitions at the Tate Modern and the Royal Academy, whilst the exhibition in Cardiff will provide visitors a chance to see her earlier work, produced from the ‘50s to the ‘80s, a significant part of which was inspired by Wales; Ayres lived on the remote Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales for a number of years in the ‘80s. Although her highly expressive abstract works very rarely bear a resemblance to the natural world in which she prefers to relocate to paint, there is certainly a similarity in their dual, chaotic, beautiful state. A necessity for any fan of 20th century art.
Admission: Free Info: 0300 111 2 333 / click here