ABOUT FIFTIES ART
We specialise in mid-century art, and you'll find here a carefully selected range of original pictures, prints and posters. The collection is based on what appeals to me - and hopefully will appeal to you.
We also love the work of John Piper, one of the most creative, imaginative and versatile artists of the twentieth century, and we hold a varied stock of paintings, limited edition prints and original fabrics.
We are always interested in buying quality artworks, especially the work of John Piper, please use the 'Contact' page to get in touch.
We are also able to provide valuations of artworks, for example for probate, and this service is free for one or two works.
"It all began when I bought a painting from 1959 with the unpromising title 'Railway Sidings, Bradford'. This inspired an exploration of mid-century art and design, and a growing appreciation of its distinctive quality. Take a look around and you'll see what I mean."
Dr Richard Turkington, FRSA, Director
WHY THE FIFTIES?
The 1950s represented a period of adjustment from war to peace, through austerity to normality. British artists played an important role in recording war - but how would they respond to peace? British art from the fifties tends to be associated with the innovation of abstraction through for example, the works of Henry Moore and Graham Sutherland. But this is only part of the story. Closer examination of art and design from the period identifies continuity and change across a broader range of work:
- Firstly, through a growing interest in printmaking - with the availability of good quality paper and innovations in lithography, not least bigger machines, making original prints more widely available - such as those by Charles Bartlett, Henry Holzer, John Piper and Robert Tavener.
- Secondly, a renewed emphasis on realism in art, especially focusing on more 'taken for granted' subjects such as interior scenes, urban and industrial subjects and less picturesque views of the rural. You can use the filters on 'The Collection' page to explore this more realist art.
- Thirdly, abstraction continues to work its way into the representational, blurring the boundaries between the two. Give abstract art a chance - and take a look at what's available using the Abstract filter.
This was also a period in which the expansion of art education created more opportunities for women to become artists, though their recognition could be short-lived. It's not unusual to find that women artists who trained in the 1950s 'disappeared' and have no recognition in our digital world. We are always keen to receive information concerning artists for whom we have no biographical information.
Our collection celebrates the variety, versatility and distinctiveness of mid-century art and design, offering an attractive range of original items at accessible prices. Tracing the origins and evolution of fifties art and design, our choice extends back to the thirties and forward to the seventies. The works of John Piper extend from the 1930s to the end of his working life.
