Parallel of Life and Art; an exhibition of visual language

The mini-exhibition at Tate Britain, New Brutalist Image 1949-55,  focuses on the artistic and architectural collaborations between Eduardo Paolozzi, the artist-photographer Nigel Henderson, the architects Alison and Peter Smithson and structural engineer Ronald Jenkins.

There are drawings, documents and photographs concerning both the building of the Hunstanton School and the design and installation of Parallel of Art and Life, the exhibition in 1953 that the Independent Group (IG) staged at the ICA.

These aren’t great photographs but I was very excited to see how Paolozzi’s collage technique was used by him physically – in marks and objects that he’d made – but also how the IG curated their photographs and reference material in Parallel of Art and Life, and wanted to make some visual notes of the exhibition.

I’m going to go back and look at it more in depth, as it was only by chance I found the show was on when I was at Tate Britain looking at Paolozzi’s Cyclops.

Funnily enough when I was visiting the Pallant House Gallery in Chichester, I came across more of Paolozzi’s sculptures – Artificial Sun, and Bride of the Konsul  – as well as a very exciting exhibition catalogue – Nigel Henderson & Eduardo Paolozzi; Hammer Prints Ltd, 1954-75  – in the super tempting PHG bookshop. It has a great selection of both new and second-hand books about Modern British art and artists.

More info
New Brutalist Image 1949–55 at Tate Britain
Exhibition about Hammer Prints Ltd in Colchester at Firstsite (2012 / 13)