Bernard Jacobson Gallery | Summer Show

Bernard Jacobson Gallery is now presenting its Summer Show, an expansive group exhibition for the season.

With vibrant colors and summer motifs, this exhibition explores some of the twentieth century’s most revolutionary art movements and their lasting impact on contemporary British artists.

The show at 8 Golden Square features an array of paintings, prints, sculptures, and works on paper from notable artists, including Ivor Abrahams, Larry Bell, Georges Braque, Patrick Caulfield, Paul Cézanne, Harold Cohen, Robyn Denny, Robert Dukes, Sam Francis, Alex Katz, Henri Matisse, Bruce McLean, Robert Motherwell, Ben Nicholson, Larry Poons, Frank Stella, William Tillyer, and Marc Vaux.

Bruce McLean, ‘Just Passed the Tangerine Test’, 2023

Matisse’s Fauvism initiated dramatic shifts within the art world, challenging academic norms with vivid colors and experimental forms. His approach sought not to mimic reality but to capture its essence through color, perception, and emotion. Works like Patitcha and Patitcha, Masque (1947) showcase how simplified forms can represent the human subject powerfully. Similarly, Georges Braque’s Cubism redefined traditional representation by deconstructing and rearranging objective reality. Braque’s later series, Oiseaux, exemplified by L’oiseau et son ombre III (1961), inspired poet Saint-John Perse by highlighting contrasts and geometric shadows to explore perception.

Sam Francis, ‘is To Mako’, 1966

Robert Motherwell’s work is central to Abstract Expressionism, characterized by gestural marks and bold black forms. Influenced by Dadaism and Surrealism, Motherwell used abstraction to delve into complex subconscious states. His piece Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 110C (1968) exemplifies his quest to visually express the human condition’s deepest emotions through automatism. Motherwell considered the Elegies his most authentic expression of contemporary society’s inherent contradictions, exploring dualities such as geometric versus organic and chaos versus order.

Robert Motherwell, ‘Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 110C’, 1968

The influence of Abstract Expressionism resonates in Sam Francis’ works on paper and Larry Poons’ textured canvases. Francis, known for his technical innovation, used egg yolk tempera in Untitled SF50-001 (1950) to contribute to color field painting. In contrast, Poons’ 01AS-2 (2001) uses impasto strokes in vibrant shades of pink, orange, and chartreuse, aligning with American contemporaries like Alex Katz’s portraits and Frank Stella’s sculptures.

Marc Vaux’s early works reflect inspiration from Willem de Kooning and Ellsworth Kelly, blending expressive gesture with minimalist precision. His piece Trace (1963) features bold blue tones intersected by expressive brushwork, while Sea Shell (2019) balances vibrant color with geometric structure. Similarly, William Tillyer’s The Shore: Line – Study Number 5 (2024) contrasts natural elements with angular grids, pushing the boundaries of British landscape painting.