Gwyther Irwin

Gimpel Fils Gallery, London, whence purchased by Mrs Bernard Schilling, August 1960, from whom acquired by the present owner 

The work is on board which has been painted on the verso. The board appears to be in good overall condition. There appears to be some discolouration near the left edge in the lower left quadrant but this may be inherent to the work. Otherwise the surface appears to be in good overall condition. Held under glass in a gilded wooden frame. Please telephone the department on 020 7293 5381 if you have any questions regarding the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Executed circa 1959.

Although trained as a painter, by 1957 Irwin had abandoned painting in favour of collage and his distinctive and dynamic work was receiving plaudits from critics at virtually every showing. Using torn advertising posters, often stripped from walls by Irwin and his wife at night, the collages rarely included any imagery or letters, rather using the random qualities of exposure to the elements and fading as his palette. Sometimes working in dense layers, as here, or in a more spare and measured manner, as in lot 148, Irwin's work deeply impressed his peers and the range of critical reviews of his work by figures as influential as Robert Melville, Denys Sutton, Alan Bowness, Mervyn Levy and John Russell gives a very strong indication of why his work was so sought after.

Throughout the early 1960s he expanded his repertoire, experimenting with a variety of other 'junk' materials, including string, corrugated cardboard and wood shavings, which perhaps signalled the move toward three dimensional constructions that occupied much of the remainder of the decade. Teaching at Brighton College of Art from 1969-1984 greatly curtailed his own work, and it was not until after his retirement that his output significantly increased.