Brian Rice: 60 Years of Paintings and Prints
The art of Brian Rice is characterised by a vibrant visual language that has put him at the forefront of British abstract art for over six decades.
A retrospective exhibition, created in collaboration with the artist and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, was on display at The Museum of Somerset from 13 November 2021 to 26 February 2022.
Contains an image:
1952 – 1959 THE STUDENT YEARS
Rice's early interest in printmaking and textiles had a lasting influence on his artistic practice.
Contains an image: The expanse of the work features an impression of the churchyard, with scattered gravestones depicted amidst overgrown, moss-green grass and shrubs. In the background, a tranquil blue sky is fractured by the looming impression of St Michael's Mount. Atop it sits a tall pillar monument, which stretches into the sky and almost meets the top of the frame.
1960 – 1976 LONDON
The artist's deep dive into London's artistic scene provided new influences
Contains an image: A white background is filled with a strong, red, lattice-effect design of tessellated diamonds, within which are blue circles. The shapes are varyingly inverted. This effect is stretched horizontally across.
1981 – 1999 ALL CHANGE
His move to Dorset fostered a new relationship with archaeology and the land
Contains an image: On the bottom half of the work features a sea of blue spiral patterns, which is broken by a coral-toned band of colour across the width of the work. Above this, the blue theme returns with a simple lattice pattern.
2000 – 2010 ROCK ART
Archaeology continues to be a key resource for the artistic imagination
Contains an image: Against a slate grey background can be seen a range of patterns, including multi-layered black and white circles, diamond shapes and horseshoes.
2017 – 2020 RETURN TO ABSTRACTION
A reappraisal of artistic direction leads to a return to early-career influences
Contains an image: On a white background, an amalgamation of rectangles, squares and polygons in many colours are stacked on top of eachother. This creates a multi-dimensional depth, which, combined with areas of negative black space, call to mind a 3D model of a living organism.