Patrick Heron

Patrick Heron (1920 – 1999), was an English artist, based in St. Ives, Cornwall. Born in Leeds on the 30 January 1920, he studied part-time at the Slade School of Fine Art (1937–1938) and worked as an assistant at Bernard Leach's Pottery in St. Ives (1945). He taught at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London (1953–1956) and worked as an art critic on the New Statesman.

His early work was influenced by Henri Matisse and consisted of figurative studies, but later on he developed an abstract style using unusual colours and intricate patterns. Heron was also a textile designer and wrote a book, The Shape of Colour (1978), in which he analysed natural forms.

On 24 May 2004, the Momart warehouse fire destroyed a number of Heron's most important works.

Patrick Heron was formerly also a textile designer and writer on art. He was the son of T.M. Heron, founder of Cresta Silks and Christian sociologist. Lived at St Ives 1925–30. His painting was interrupted by the war; in 1945 he settled in London and began to paint again. Deeply impressed by the Braque exhibition at the Tate Gallery 1946. First one-man exhibition in London at the Redfern Gallery 1947 and in New York at the Bertha Schaefer Gallery 1960.

Art critic to the New Statesman and Nation 1947–50, and London correspondent to Arts (New York) 1955–58. Retrospective exhibition, Wakefield Art Gallery and northern tour 1952; twelve paintings in the Sao Paulo Bienal 1953–4. Turned to abstract art under the influence of American abstract painting 1956 and moved the same year to Zennor, Cornwall. Awarded First Prize in the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition 1959. Author of The Changing Forms of Art 1955, Ivon Hitchens 1955, Braque 1956. Many of his works can be seen at The Tate Collection online.

Select Timeline

1935 - To 1939 - Works as designer for his father's firm, Cresta Silks

1937 - To 1939 - Studied at the Slade School of Art

1944 - To 1945 - Assistant at Bernard Leach's pottery, St Ives

1945 - Moves to Holland Park, London

1944 - To 1950 - Works as designer for his father's firm, Cresta Silks

1953 - To 1956 - Taught at the Central School of Art, London

1956 - Moves to Eagles Nest, Zennor, Cornwall

1945 - To 1958 - Critic for New English Weekly, New Statesman and Nation and Arts (New York)

1958 - Moves into Nicholson's studio at Porthmeor, St Ives

1959 - Winner of Grand Prize, in 2nd John Moores Exhibition

1965 - Awarded Silver medal in the VIII Sao Paulo Bienal

1972 - Retrospective at the Whitechapel Art Gallery

1977 - Created CBE

1985 - Retrospective at the Barbican Art Gallery

1998 - Retrospective at Tate Britain

Select Exhibitions

1950 - Aspects of British art, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London

1953 - Space in Colour, Hanover Gallery, London

1954 - British Painting and Sculpture 1954, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London

1959 - John Moores Liverpool Exhibition II, Liverpool

1963 - Galerie Charles Lienhard, Zurich

1965 - Sao Paulo Bienal VIII, (Silver Medal) (exhibition toured South America in 1966

1968 - Museum of Modern Art, Oxford

1972 - Decade: Painting, Drawing and Sculpture in Britain 1940-9, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London

1972 - Whitechapel Art Gallery, London

1977 - British Painting 1952-1977, Royal Academy of Arts, London

1979 - Oriel Gallery, Cardiff

1985 - Barbican Art Gallery, London

1985 - St Ives 1939-64, Tate Gallery, London

1985 - British Art in the Twentieth Century: The Modern Movement, Royal Academy, London

1993 - Inaugural Exhibition, Tate St Ives, Cornwall

1998 - Tate Gallery, London

Select Artwork

Red, Brown and Ultramarine, 1967

First Vertical Screenprint, 1978

Harbour Window in Mirror, St. Ives, 1952

Still Life with Fish, 1947

Still Life with Red Jug, 1947

Dark Violet with Orange Panel, 1971

Blue Disc Flooding: June, 1964

Quotes

"In a lot of cases, there are no other treatment alternatives."

"He is incredibly well networked and he is one of the most well respected chief scientific officers in the country."

Publications

The changing forms of art (Noonday paperbacks) - by Patrick Heron, Noonday Press (1958)

Abstract Art & the Rediscovery of the Spiritual (Art and Design Profile) - by Patrick Heron, St Martins Pr (December 1987)

Patrick Heron - by Patrick Heron, David Sylvester, Martin Gayford, A. S. Byatt, Tate Gallery, Tate Gallery Pubn (July 1998)

The Colour of colour (E. William Doty lectures in fine arts) - by Patrick Heron, College of Fine Arts, The University of Texas at Austin (1979)

The Fifties: Art from the British Council Collection - by Mel Gooding, Patrick Heron, The British Council (Visual Arts publications) (August 1998)

Quick Facts

Born in Leeds on the 30 January 1920, he studied part-time at the Slade School of Fine Art (1937-1939) and worked as an assistant at Bernard Leach's Pottery in St. Ives (1945).

Patrick Heron was formerly also a textile designer and writer on art.

The early work of the British painter, writer and designer was clearly influenced by Matisse and Braque.Awarded First Prize in the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition 1959.