1. Woman Eating an Apple 1960oil on canvas
89 x 39.5 cm
1. The London Paintings, 1960-61
The earliest of the London paintings are characterized by a darker palette and a figurative element stands out against a dark background. A darker palette generally prevails in all of these works. Reid mentions how he was profoundly moved by the work of El Greco at the Prado in Madrid, which he had visited earlier in 1960. The figurative element, which continued to inform so much of British and European modernism, was re-enforced by the environment, and the works pay hommage to the great European traiditons. The titles given to some of these works, such as Pietà and Crucifixion, indicate how Reid had absorbed some of the great subjects of the figurative tradition in European art.
It was no coincidence that such near-abstract works were also
informed by American Abstract Expressionism. There, Reid was far
more taken by the work of Arshile Gorky than by the work of Jackson
Pollock. The work of Philip Guston is also mentioned as was the
work of Joan Mitchell.
1. Woman Eating an Apple 1960
oil on canvas
89 x 39.5 cm
The earliest of the London Paintings relates directly to the earlier work that Reid had done in Mexico in 1957, where he began to explore Modernism through what he perceived as its real beginnings: Cubism. One is also tempted to relate this work to the many paintings by Old Masters of Eve eating the apple. Reid's exploration of the female figure in this series often relates to temptation in titles such as Red Seductress.
2.
Crucifixion 1960
oil on canvas
84.5 x 59.5 cm
Both this work and the Pietà may relate to the compositions
of these traditional subjects. The references are not precise
or obvious. Reid's inspiration here was the tradition of European
art and his memory of such works.
3.
Pietà 1960
oil on canvas
84.5 x 59.5 cm
A composition based on a triangle which might include the huddled
figures traditionally seen in a 'deposition' painting, where Christ
is taken down from the cross.
4.
[Untitled] Nov. 1961
oil on canvas
59 x 85 cm
With this work, Reid began his exploration of the figure, usually
reclining and set against a dark background.
5.
Figure #3 1961
oil on canvas
58.5 x 84 cm
6.
Hommage to Gorky 1961
oil on canvas
88.5 x 104.5 cm
7.
Figure #4 1961
oil on canvas
88.5 x 104.5 cm
8.
[Untitled] 1961
oil on canvas
152.5 x 106.5 cm
9.
[Untitled] 1961
oil on canvas
105 x 149 cm