British Artists: Ben Nicholson

Ben Nicholson (1894-1982) was one of the greatest British artists of the twentieth century, first coming to international prominence with his famous 'white reliefs' of the 1930s.A pioneer of abstract art in Britain, he played a significant role in the European avantgarde, forming close links with Picasso, Braque, Arp, Mondrian and others.At the same time he had a strong sense of tradition, maintaining a life-long attachment to landscape and still-life forms.Central to the establishment of a modernist art community in St Ives, Nicholson's importance as a disseminator of international avant-garde ideas in Britain cannot be overstated.His career spanned more than 60 years and embraced carved reliefs, paintings, drawings and prints.Virginia Button's engaging, fully illustrated survey provides a detailed examination of Nicholson's life and work in St Ives, giving a thorough introduction as well as new insights into the evolving practice of this major artist over a period of six decades.