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Robyn Denny Biography
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Robyn Denny, born in Surrey in 1930, is one of a legendary group who transformed British art in the late 1950s, leading it into the international mainstream. He studied at the Royal College of Art in the mid-1950s, among a generation that included Richard Smith and Alan Green. Inspired by Abstract Expressionism, American films, popular culture and urban modernity, they recognised abstract painting as their only conceivable route. Denny’s idiosyncratic contemporary voice emerged with the first of the public art projects that have punctuated his career: a mural for the Austin Reed store in Regent Street, London which read ‘Great big biggest wide London’; it epitomised the optimism and confidence of the city at the dawn of the 1960s. As an intensely urban man, the scale and format of Denny’s work relate to built environments, to the human presence among structures rather than to nature.
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From 1950 to 1954 he studied in Paris and at St Martin’s School of Art, London, followed by two years National Service in the Royal Navy. After graduating from the Royal College in 1957 he was awarded a scholarship to study in Italy, then taught part-time at Hammersmith School of Art, the Slade School of Art and the Bath Academy of Art, Corsham. An active and distinguished career has included participation in ground-breaking exhibitions throughout Europe and the United States. They include a retrospective at the Tate Gallery (1973); ‘Place’ (Institute of Contemporary Arts, London, 1959); ‘Situation’ (RBA Galleries, London, 1960); ‘London: the New Scene’ (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, Minneapolis and north American tour, 1965); Venice Biennale, 1966 and ‘The Sixties Art Scene in London’ (Barbican Art Gallery, London, 1993). In 1981 Denny moved to Los Angeles, returning to London in the 1990s. In California he found a congenial urban environment and a natural light, including the notorious smog, that captivated him and enabled him to develop a new aesthetic.
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Among the paintings that Denny made at the Royal College are rudimentary images of heads, indebted to French Tachisme, with dripped and dribbled paint and an occasional discreet patch of fashionable burnt bitumen. These were interspersed with abstract collages and large gestural paintings which display the broad gestures and bold marks of American Abstract Expressionism, exhibited in London in 1956 and 1959. Other works, like Denny’s early murals, contain vestiges of letters and numerals, in an echo of contemporary French lettriste painting. In 1959 the deceptively simple canvases that he showed in the ‘Place’ exhibition had, like other works made at this time, a horizontal band at their base. Set directly on the floor, unframed, they invited the viewer to cross a rudimentary threshold, acknowledging the corporeal presence of a viewing body without offering any concessions to illusion.
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In this way ‘Place’ initiated a reformulation of the understanding of pictorial space for the 1960s. Denny continued his exploration of space though the decade, starting with ‘Situation’ in 1960, an exhibition organised as a celebration of the large canvas, for which artists were required to produce entirely abstract work of not less than 30 square feet. ‘Situation’ (the title referred to ‘the situation in London now’) represented a new professionalism for British artists as well as a synthesis between European and American models. For Denny it opened the period in which he produced ‘some of the most accomplished abstract paintings made in Britain in the twentieth century’ (David Mellor, 2002). During the 1960s he developed a range of work which explores both space and modes of perception. From lines and bands of colour that read as stripes on plain grounds, proposing a space containing a vertical form analogous to the viewer, Denny developed the ‘Out-Line’ group where symmetrical forms are surrounded by a transparent linear structure. With the ‘Lineaments’ this structure became the central, hieratic, almost portal-like focus of the work. In the mid-1960s he introduced oblique lines then, in the ‘Overpaintings’, fragmented structures defiantly at odds with their enclosing squares and rectangles.
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In 1969 Denny organised an exhibition for the Arts Council on the American artist Charles Biederman, who for over 20 years worked exclusively on vividly coloured abstract reliefs. This experience coincided with a new intensity of colour in Denny’s work, shifting from rich, dark harmonies to high, bright contrasts, from a sense of twilight to daylight. Formats also changed, notably in the three-dimensional perspex ‘Colour Boxes’ and the ‘Horizontal Paintings’ of the early 1970s which run in a concentrated block across the base of the canvas.
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Despite the overall balance and resolution of the 1960s paintings they are inherently contradictory, challenging the viewer’s perceptual expectations. There is neither ‘figure’ nor ‘ground’ but a constant process of visual adjustment; space is thus an ambiguous mental construct rather than a familiar physical quality; colour produces flicker effects and becomes unstable and scale, in works where nothing is certain, is perhaps the greatest conundrum as there is nothing to compare it with. But these perceptual and intellectual dilemmas are what define Denny’s 1960s paintings, marking them as works of rare quality that can stand alongside the best American painting of the period.
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In California, Denny’s painting again changed radically. In the late 1970s, the acrylic ‘Moonshine’ drawings had incorporated scratch marks, leading eventually to a series of large monochrome paintings where a concentrated cluster of scratching rests, with shockingly disruptive impact, on a thin horizontal: a datum line, never a ‘horizon’. Though they disturb expectation, these are among Denny’s most beautiful works. Their acrylic surfaces are delicate and subtly modulated, constructed from up to 30 layers of pigment applied until it is intensely rich, absorbing the eye and the attention. Few painters can fill a near-monochrome canvas with so much import. The central image may be a small tight parcel of coloured paper, like a spell or a ‘secret’, or an urgent concentration of colour posed on the canvas as an attention-demanding event. Most recently these centres - of meaning, activity and reciprocity between painting and viewer – have become three-dimensional. If their meanings are largely irretrievable they are none the less dramatic and disquieting, thrusting their presence forward.
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Since the early 1960s colour and form have been inseparable in Denny’s work; they have remained controlled, resolved and resolutely abstract. Yet they are redolent of human experience and of light and space; their titles contain innumerable – if incidental - references to popular culture. Denny’s comment on Charles Biederman is true also of himself: he is one of the ‘most remarkable, and sustainedly radical artists of our time’.
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He is now represented by Delaye Saltoun.
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National Gallery of Australia, Sydney
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Daimler Chrysler Collection, Berlin
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Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran
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Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon
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Victoria & Albert Museum, London
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Government Art Collection
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Department of the Environment
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Peter Stuyvesant Collection
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Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
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Arnolfini Collections Trust, Bristol
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Sheffield City Art Gallery
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Dundee Art Gallery & Museum
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National Museum of Wales, Cardiff
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Arts Council of Northern Ireland
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Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
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Royal Bank of Scotland, Edinburgh
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Council for National Academic Awards
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Southampton City Art Gallery
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Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, Bedford
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The Pier Art Centre, Scotland
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University of Warwick Arts Centre
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Museum of Modern Art, New York
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Chase Manhattan Bank, New York
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Phillips Collection, Washington DC
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Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
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Security Pacific Nat. Bank, LA
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Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo
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Alexandria Museum, Louisiana
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University of Northern Iowa
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Yale Centre for British Art
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Minnesota State University
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National Gallery of Australia
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| Selected Exhibitions |
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2005
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Elements of Abstraction: Space, Line & Interval in British Art, Southampton City Art Gallery
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2004
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Hirschl Contemporary Art, London (solo)
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2002
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Hirschl Contemporary Art, London (solo)
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2001
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Hirschl Contemporary Art, London (solo)
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1995 - 1996
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Out of Order. Independent Art Space, London
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1995 - 1996
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Really Out of Order. Hansard Gallery, Southampton
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1993 - 1994
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The Sixties Art Scene in London, Barbican Art Centre, London
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1992
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The New Patrons, Twentieth Century Art from Corporate Collections, Christie’s London
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1992
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Ready Steady Go, Painting from the Sixties, from the Arts Council Collection, The South Bank Centre, London
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1992
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Three Artists Three Decades, Robyn Denny, John Hoyland, Gwyther Irwin, Redfer, London
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1992
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Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London (solo)
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1991
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The Presence of Painting, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham; touring to Hatton Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne
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1991
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Not Pop, What the others were doing. Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London
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1988
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Painting at the Royal College of Art, Royal College of Art Gallery, London
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1988
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Corsham – A Celebration, Michael Parkin Gallery, London
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1988
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The Presence of Painting, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham; touring to Hatton Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne
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1985
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Twenty Five Years, Annely Juda, London
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1985
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Fine Arts Gallery, U.C. Irvine, California (solo)
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1984
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Home and Abroad, Arts Council Exhibition
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1984
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The Serpentine Gallery, London
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1984
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Art Within Reach, Icon Gallery, Brimingham
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1983
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The Granada Collection, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester
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1983
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The London Suite (Prints), Icon Art Gallery, Birmingham
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1982
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Drawing - New Directions, Summit Art Gallery, Summit, USA
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1982
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Bernard Jacobson Gallery, Los Angeles (solo)
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1981
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Jacobson/Hochman Gallery, New York (solo)
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1981
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Salty Le Gallais Gallery, Jersey, Channel Islands
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1981
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Group IV, Waddington Galleries, London
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1981
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Recent Drawing, Jacobson Hochman Gallery, New York
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1980
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Gallery Artists, Bernard Jacobson Ltd., London
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1980
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Kelpra Studio – The Rose and Chris Prater Exhibition, Tate Gallery London
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1980
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Aronson Gallery, Atlanta (solo)
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1979
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Bernard Jacobson Ltd, London (solo)
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1979
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Bernard Jacobson Ltd, New York (solo)
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1979
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The Museum of Drawers, Kunstmuseum, Bern
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1979
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The Deck of Cards, J.P.L. Fine Arts, London
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1979
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20 C. British Art, Middlesborough Art Gallery
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1978
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Festival Gallery, Bath (solo)
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1977
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Waddington and Tooth Galleries, London (solo)
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1977
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Annual Show, Hayward Gallery, London
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1977
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Jubilee Exhibition, Royal Academy, London
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1976
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For John Constable, Tate Gallery, London
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1976
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Peintres et Sculpteurs Britanniques, Centre Culturel de la Ville de Toulouse
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1976
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Galleria Morone, Milan (solo)
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1975
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Galleria La Polena, Genova (solo)
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1975
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Jacques Damase Gallery, Brussels (solo)
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1975
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Neue Galerie, Linz (solo)
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1975
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Galerie Modulo, Porto (solo)
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1975
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Peinture Anglaise Contemporaine, Musée de Grenoble
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1975
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La Pitture Inglese Oggi, Ciak Gallery, Rome
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1974
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Musée d’Art et d’Histoire, Cabinet des Estampes, Geneva
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1974
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Galerie Schottinring, Vienna
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1974
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Galerie Jacomo-Sontiveri, Paris (solo)
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1974
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Marlborough Gallery, Rome (solo)
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1974
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Galleria del Cavillino, Venice (solo)
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1974
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Galleria L’Approdo, Turin (solo)
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1974
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Galleria Rondanini, Rome (solo)
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1974
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Galerie Wentzel, Hamburg (solo)
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1974
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Galerie Wellman, Dusseldorf (solo)
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1974
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Santiveri Gallery, Paris (solo)
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1973
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Tate Gallery, London (retrospective exhibition), touring to Wurttengergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart, and Stadtisches Museum, Leverkusen, Germany
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1973
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Studio la Citta, Verona (solo)
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1973
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Galerie T, Amsterdam (solo)
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1972
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Galerie Ziegler, Geneva
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1972
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Alecto International, Studio La Citta, Verona
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1970 - 1972
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Large Paintings, Arts Council Touring Exhibition
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1971
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Galerie Mikro, Berlin
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1971
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Galerie Muller, Cologne
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1971
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Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol
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1970
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Galerie Muller, Stuttgart & Cologne
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1970
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Kasmin Gallery, London (solo)
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1970
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Robert Elkon Gallery, New York (solo)
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1970
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Arts Council Touring Exhibition
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1970
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Kelpra Prints, Hayward Gallery, London
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1970
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Contemporary British Art, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
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1970
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British Painting and Sculpture 1960-70, National Gallery, Washington DC
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1969
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Exhibition of Alecto Colour Boxes, Gimpel and Weitzenhoffer, New York
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1969
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Contemporary British Paintings, South African Tour
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1969
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Kasmin Artists, Arts Council Gallery, Belfast
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1969
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New Editions, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford
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1969
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12 Britische Artisten, Kunstlerhaus Galerie, Vienna
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1969
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Contemporary British Painting, Art Centre, Delaward
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1969
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Kasmin Gallery, London (solo)
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1969
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Waddington Gallery, London (solo)
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1969
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Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol (solo)
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1968
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Forum Stadtpart, Graz (solo)
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1968
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Renée Ziegler, Zurich (solo)
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1968
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Mostra Mercato d’art Contemporanea, Palazzo Strozzi Florence
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1968
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Ornamentale Tendenzen, Berlin
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1968
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Ornamentale Tendenzen, Leverkusen
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1968
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Ornamentale Tendenzen, Schloss Wolfsburg
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1968
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Peintres Europeens d’Aujourd’hui, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris and USA tour
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1968
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Art Vivant, Foundation Maeght, Paris
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1968
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Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh International, Pittsburgh
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1968
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A Collector’s Exhibition, Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Canada
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1968
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Purchases, The Contemporary Art Society
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1968
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Works on Paper, Waddington Gallery, London
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1968
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Ceri Richards/Robyn Denny, Arnolfini Art Centre, Bristol
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1968
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Arte Moltiplicate, Galleria Milano
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1968
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Suites, Recent Prints, Jewish Museum, New York
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1968
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Junge Generation, Grossbritannien, Akademie er Kunste, Berlin
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1968
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Prospect 68, Dusseldorf
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1967 - 1968
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John Moores Liverpool Exhibition VI, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
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1967
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Jeunes Peintres Anglais, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels
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1967
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Four Young English Painters, Kunsthalle, Mannheim
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1967
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Jeunes Peintres Anglais, Galerie Alice Pauli, Lausanne
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1967
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Jeunes Peintres Anglais, Galerie Feigel, Basel
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1967
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Vormen van de Kleur, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
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1967
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Recent British Painting, Stuyvesant Foundation, Tate Gallery
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1967
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Exposition Internationale de Gravures, Vancouver
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1967
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Forem der Frabe, Kunstverein, Stuttgart; touring to Kunsthalle, Berne
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1967
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Four British Painters, Two British Potters, Museum Boymans – van Beuningen, Rotterdam
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1967
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7th Exposition Internationale, Modern Galeria Llubljana
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1967
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Kasmin Gallery, London (solo)
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1967
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Robert Elkon Gallery, New York (solo)
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1966
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Robert Elkon Gallery, New York (solo)
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1966
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Caro/Cohen/Denny/Smith, Kasmin Gallery, London
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1966
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XXXIII Biennale, Venice
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1966
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5 Junge Englander, Kunsthalle, Mannheim, Biennale Venedig
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1966
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International Print Biennale, Tokyo, National Museum of Modern Art
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1966
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Robyn Denny/ John Ernest, Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol
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1965 - 1966
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John Moores Liverpool Exhibition V, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
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1965
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New Painting 1961-65, Arts Council Touring Exhibition
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1965
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London: the New Scene, Walker Art Centre, Minneapolis, touring to Canada
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1965
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Paris Biennale, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
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1965
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Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol
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1965
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Focus on Drawing, Art Gallery of Toronto
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1965
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Art Vivant, Foundation Maeght, Paris
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1964
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Contemporary British Painting and Sculpture, Albright-Know Gallery, Buffalo
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1964
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Britische Malerei der Gernerwart, Kunsthalle Dusseldorf
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1964
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John Moores Liverpool Exhibition, Walker Art Gallery
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1964
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Documenta III, Kassel
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1964
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La Peau de l’Ours Kunsthalle, Basel
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1964
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Young British Painters, 1955-1960, Art Gallery of New South Wales
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1964
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Kasmin Gallery, London (solo)
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1963
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Galerie Muller, Stuttgart (solo)
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1963
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Towards Art, Arts Council, Touring Exhibition
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1963
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7 Junge Englische Malerei, Kunsthalle, Basle
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1963
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Galerie Huber, Zurich
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1963
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Ten Years, Gallery One, London
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1963
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H ‘63’ Hamilton Galleries, London
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1963
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7th International Biennale, Tokyo
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1963
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British Painting in the 60’s, Tate Gallery, London
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1963
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Absolute Farbe, Avant Garde 63, Museum Trier
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1962 - 1963
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Situation, Arts Council Touring Exhibition, to Cambridge, Aberdeen, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Bradford, Kettering and Liverpool
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1962
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Denny/Greninger/Olsen, Galerie Handschin, Basel
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1962
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Nine Painters from England, Galleria Trastevere, Rome
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1962
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Towards Art, Royal College of Art, London
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1962
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Galleria Scacchi Gracco (solo)
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1961
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Molton Gallery, London (solo)
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1961
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AIA – Directions/Connections, London
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1961
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Art of Assemblage, Museum of Modern Art, New York
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1961
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New London Situation, New London Gallery
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1961
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Neue Marlerie in England, Stadtisches Museum, Leverkusen
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1961
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Six Young Painters, Arts Council Tour
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1960 - 1961
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Danad Design, Portal Gallery, London
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1960
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Situation, RBA Galleries, London
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1959 - 1960
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John Moores Liverpool Exhibition, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
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1959
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London Group, RBA Galleries, London
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1959
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British Paintings and Prints from Paris Biennale, AIA Gallery, London
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1959
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Première Biennale, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
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1959
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Premio Lissone, Milan
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1958 - 1959
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British Painting, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C.(touring)
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1958
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British Abstract Painting, Auckland City Art Gallery; touring to National Gallery of Art, Sydney
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1958
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British Painting, Neiman Marcus, Dallas
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1958
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Gallery One, London (solo)
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1958
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Gimpel Fils, London (solo)
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1958
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London Group, RBA Galleries, London
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1958
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A1A25, RBA Galleries, London
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1958
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Summer Exhibition, Redfern Gallery, London
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1958
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Robyn Denny and Charles Carey, Gallery One, London
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1958
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American Guggenheim Awards, Manchester City Art Gallery,;Whitechapel Art Gallery, London; Brighton Art Gallery
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1958
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Contemporary Art Acquisitions, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo
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1957
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Metavisual, Tachiste, Abstract, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Liege
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1957
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The British School at Rome, Imperial Institute, London
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1957
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New Trends in British Art, New York Art Foundation, Rome
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1957
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Young Contemporaries, RBA Galleries, London
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1957
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Metavisual, Tachiste, Abstract, Redfern Gallery, London
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1957
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Critics Choice, (Neville Wallis) Arthur Tooth & Sons, London
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1957
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Dimensions, O’Hana Gallery, London
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1957
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Summer Exhibition, Gimpel Fils, London
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1956
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Young Contemporaries, RBA Galleries, London
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1954
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Young Contemporaries, RBA Galleries, London
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1953
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Young Contemporaries, RBA Galleries, London
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| Links to further information |
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