Wilfred Avery is coming to light as an important British painter of 20th century, although you probably won’t have heard of him – he received little recognition within his lifetime and is largely underrepresented in public museums.
A powerful group of thirteen works by Avery were acquired as a notable addition to Sheffield’s collection in 2019. Six of them are currently on display in New Horizons at the Millennium Gallery. Let’s take a closer look 👀
Figure Undressing, 1956
Though Wilfred Avery does not directly express sexual identity in this work, his intimate portraits of men undressing have been interpreted as embracing queer domestic life. This work was painted more than a decade before homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK in 1967. By placing the sitter within an everyday setting, Avery is making a quiet yet radical statement about how, regardless of sexual orientation, domestic life is inherently the same for everyone. Avery was always a strong supporter for gay rights, and campaigned for it in the 1970s.
Tree Vista, 1958
Take a look at this painting and you’ll see that the shapes in the foreground are just about recognisable as trees, but seem to be morphing into something more abstract. This painting is a significant example of the tension between figurative and abstract styles often found in post-war art.
All work presented by the executor of the Estate of Wilfred Avery with Art Fund support, 2019.
