Reeman Dansie
Lot 1148
Dorothy Mead (1928-1975) oil on canvas - still life with black vase, dated '74, 46cm x 61cm, in painted framed. Dorothy was born in London in 1928 and trained at the South East Essex School of Art where she met David Bomberg, he recognised her significant talent and she trained under him from 1945-1951, before later attending the Slade School of Art. At the Slade she had considerable academic success, becoming the first woman president of the of the annual exhibiting society, and was awarded the Figure Painting Prize and the Steer Prize. But despite her accolades, she was forced to leave the college and failed to receive a qualification because of her refusal to sit the course on perspective. It was her belief and that of her mentor Bomberg, that this element was invalid in her art, she wrote to William Coldstream declaring ‘perspective is completely alien to me in my work as a painter’. In 1964 the Arts Council England created a series of touring exhibitions titled ‘Six Young Painters’, Dorothy exhibited alongside artists including Peter Blake, William Crozier, David Hockney, Bridget Riley and Euan Uglow. Around this time she joined the London Group of artists, and was their first female president from 1971-1973. She lectured and taught variously at Goldsmiths, Morley College and Chelsea College of Art. Dorothy Mead died in 1975 aged just 46. Her work is held by Tate Gallery, UCL Art Gallery, London South Bank Collection and other institutions. Her work was particularly admired amongst her artistic peers and evokes comparisons to her contemporaries and colleagues Bomberg, Kossoff and Auerbach. Examples are rarely seen in salerooms and this collection, which is by family descent from the artist, represents the largest and most comprehensive collection to appear at auction. Good overall condition, ready to hang.
