Eric Malthouse
Redhouse, Merthyr Tydfil
Sun 29 Sept-Mon 18 Nov
Merthyr Tydfil art centre Redhouse are putting on an exhibition this September, in honour of painter Eric Malthouse. Born in Erdington near Birmingham, Malthouse was the Art Master at Salt High Schools in Saltaire, Yorkshire from 1938-39, before spending a couple of years at the Royal Armoured Corps. He became a lecturer at Cardiff College Of Art and was there for 29 years, where he became a hugely influential figure in modern art in Wales during the mid-20th century.
In 1956 Malthouse formed the artists’ organisation 56 Group, along with David Tinker and Michael Edmonds, where he was able to persuade many people to join due to his enthusiasm and forward thinking. The original aim of the group was to develop a different type of exhibition programme that allowed Welsh artwork to be shown in as many places as possible. He was also a founding member of the art collective South Wales Group, now known as The Welsh Group.
Cornwall inspired many of Malthouse’s paintings, often producing landscape paintings around Mullion Cove. In 1955, while in Cornwall, he created Rock Pools, which saw him start his transition into the field of abstract painting. He started off his artistic career as a surrealist before changing over to abstract in 1959 – yet he was always involved in printmaking, which became an extremely important factor in his work.
With the region having provided him with inspiration over the years, Malthouse moved to Cornwall in 1973 where he continued creating abstract oil paintings and prints. However, after his wife died in the early 1980s, he moved back to Barry. While living there, he started to create a number of watercolour scenes and continued to do so until he died.
Malthouse had many famous paintings including Mother And Child 1944, which is thought to be of his wife Anne and their first daughter Penny, and Mother And Child 1947, his highest-selling painting. His work can also be found all around Wales, as well as certain parts of England and Scotland. This exhibition will be an excellent chance to catch some of his paintings in Merthyr.
words Tullulah Suleman
Admission: free. Info: 01685 384111 / www.redhousecymru.com