'Genius' lecturer's art goes public
Posted: Friday, 27th April 2012
Self Portrait with Fish
AN INSPIRATIONAL lecturer at the Manchester School of Art has been hailed as one of the great British artists of the 20th century after an exhibition in his memory opened in London.
The works of Dave Pearson, who taught fine art from the 1960s until 2002 are now on show in the first major exhibition of his work in London.
Pearson has been described as a “really major artist that nearly slipped through the net” by critics after over 15,000 paintings, drawings and prints were found in his studio after his death in 2008.
And now pieces from this £1m collection are on show in London at the exhibition ‘To Byzantium and Beyond’ which will run to May 13 at the Bermondsey Art Space.
Monumental energy
Exhibition curator Edward Lucie-Smith said: “The show is an autobiography, and one of the greatest composed by any 20th century British artist.”
It covers selected work from some of Pearson’s late major series, while making links with earlier ones and characterising the way in which Pearson always worked, it is fiercely intense, personal and inspiring in its depth and monumental creative energy.
Margaret Mytton, senior lecturer on Art Foundation was a close friend of Pearson’s and co-curated the exhibition, she said: “This exhibition has been a wonderful opportunity to show a large sample of Dave’s work to new audiences, let’s hope that exposure continues to grow and that his work achieves the recognition it so richly deserves.”
The BBC’s The One Show interviewed Margaret as part of a feature on Dave and from the discovery of his work at his studio in Haslingden to the opening of the exhibition.
Both the exhibition and catalogue have benefited from support by MIRIAD.
Dave Pearson retired from MMU in 2002 and became ill with cancer the following year. He died in 2008 aged 70.