To me, art – colour in art – is wonderfully indulging. I don’t see why you shouldn’t be filling yourself up, making yourself happy. Enjoying yourself. Feasting on beauty. I want an art that’s going to make me feel heady, in a high-flown way. I love the idea of that. I’d use the word spiritual. I’m not frightened of all that.
Gillian Ayres
Gillian Ayres: A Life in Colour brings together 26 of Ayres’ vibrant paintings. Tracing her bold and expressive style, they span seven decades of creative practice. Seminal works such as Hampstead Murals from the late 1950s and works created at her rural North Devon home in the 1990s and early 2000s are shown alongside Harlyn Bay, made when she was just 15 years old.
Known for her energetic brushwork and rich use of colour, the exhibition showcases the feeling and emotion that guided Ayres, giving you the chance to encounter the fearless experimentation and emotional intensity that defined her approach to painting.
In a mad sort of way, I saw nature like paint.
Ayres’ deep connection to the landscapes and rural life of South West England were an enduring source of inspiration for her. She lived in a remote spot on the North Devon/North Cornwall border from 1987 until her death in 2018 and the rhythms, colours and expansiveness of life in the countryside allowed her to create some of her most ambitious and monumental works.
She was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 1989, elected to the Royal Academy in 1991, and appointed a CBE in 2011. Her paintings and prints are held by major museums and galleries worldwide including Tate, the British Museum, MoMA New York, the Yale Center for British Art, and the National Gallery of Australia.
Art is literally an act of discovery. Art reveals aspects of reality we have never known before.
As well as being one of Britain’s most influential and radical female artists Ayres was a significant figure in arts education and was the first female Head of Art at Winchester Art Collect from 1978-1981. A concurrent display marking the 170th anniversary of Arts University Plymouth will highlight the city’s own long-standing commitment to creative education.
Find out more
● Read about Gillian Ayres on the Royal Academy website.
● Read about Gillian Ayres on the Government Art Collection website.
● Discover more about her life and career on the Cristea Roberts Gallery website.
● Listen to a interview Ayres gave to FT Life in 2015 (running time 6 minutes).
● Watch an overview of Ayres life and practice produced in 2021 by London South (running time 8 minutes).
Image credits:
Sang the Sun in Flight, 2009 (detail)
Harlyn Bay, 1975
Untitled (Rome Series 1), 1997
All Gillian Ayres © Estate of Gillian Ayres RA CBE
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‘Gillian Ayres: A Life in Colour’ Curator’s Tour
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More info
The Box is free to visit but to enjoy priority access to our exhibitions we encourage visitors to book a ticket in advance. Please note that the exhibition will be closing at 4pm on Friday 18 September. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused. During Saturday 19 September the galleries are open to the public, but please be aware that there will be dance performances taking place in them.
