The exhibition will illuminate Piper's transition from representation to abstraction during the 1930s. At this time, through his experimentations in collage and construction, Piper gained recognition as an abstract artist, placing him at the forefront of the abstract movement, parallel to British contemporaries including Henry Moore and Ben Nicholson.
From representational landscapes to stained-glass windows
John Piper was an incredibly diverse artist with a portfolio that spanned many mediums and aesthetics. From representational landscapes and stained-glass windows – including, most importantly, Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral - to his most well-known work with abstraction, Piper’s work continued to change through the war period when he was commissioned as a war artist, and again when he returned to the neo-classicism of British landscapes and urban environments after the war.
An undeniable influence within the abstract movement
Piper’s forward-thinking presence makes him an undeniable influence within the movement’s early artistic period, and while much of his celebrated abstract style was developed in the early stages of his career, in his late 20s, elements of it persist throughout his later works. Piper stands as a strong visual link between the 1940s abstract movement and all that went before, and he remains an important icon of the 20th century art world.
The new exhibition specifically explores Piper’s diverse works and intriguing artistic development through Tate Liverpool’s abstract-focused collection. An extensive collection held by the John Piper Estate, including portraits of the artist himself, can be found and licensed on Artimage.
License images below:
Llyn Tefl IV, 1982:
Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, 1981:
Seven Sisters Collage, 1933:
Eye and Camera, Red Circle, 1980:
Aberelddy, 1963:
Garn Fawr, 1975:
John Piper at Fawley Bottom Farmhouse, 1935:
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Image from top: Newhaven Harbour and Cliff, Sussex, 1936, John Piper, © The Piper Estate, All Rights Reserved DACS/Artimage 2017. Photo: Luke Piper; Llyn Tefi IV, 1982, John Piper, © The Piper Estate, All Rights Reserved DACS/Artimage 2017. Photo: Luke Piper; Long Sutton, Lincolnshire, 1981, John Piper, © The Piper Estate, All Rights Reserved DACS/Artimage 2017. Photo: Luke Piper; Seven Sisters Collage, 1933, John Piper, © The Piper Estate, All Rights Reserved DACS/Artimage 2017. Photo: Luke Piper; Eye and Camera, Red Circle, 1980, John Piper, © The Piper Estate, All Rights Reserved DACS/Artimage 2017. Photo: Luke Piper; Abereiddy I, 1963, John Piper, © The Piper Estate, All Rights Reserved DACS/Artimage 2017. Photo: Luke Piper; Garn Fawr, 1975, John Piper, © The Piper Estate, All Rights Reserved DACS/Artimage 2017. Photo: Luke Piper; John Piper at Fawley Bottom Farmhouse, c.1935, John Piper, © The Piper Estate, All Rights Reserved DACS/Artimage 2017. Photo: Luke Piper.