Items Similar to Surrealist Watercolour/Gouache on Paper. 'The Birth of Sculpture''
Video Loading
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 20
Derek Carruthers Surrealist Watercolour/Gouache on Paper. 'The Birth of Sculpture''1986
1986
$699.81
£521.74
€590
CA$961.08
A$1,075.64
CHF 561.65
MX$13,122.87
NOK 7,129.44
SEK 6,765.40
DKK 4,493.96
Shipping
Retrieving quote...The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation
About the Item
Late 20th century surrealist gouache and watercolour on paper by British artist Derek Carruthers. The painting is signed to the bottom right and titled 'Birth of Sculpture' to the reverse.
An imposing and highly colourful painting of colossal classical temples, one encasing an heroic Graeco-Roman figure and the other giving birth to a female Graeco-Roman figure.
Carruthers often loved to use strong imagery to pose questions and to challenge the viewer.
Is this a commentary on the emergence of women as a more prominent, powerful force in society as the female figure rises light and almost transparent from the open, airy temple whilst the patriarchy, heavy and turned to stone has become tightly imprisoned in a temple bound with female statues?
Or conversely, are men imprisoning themselves by placing women on a pedestal?
Carruthers likes to challenge our human perspective of what is normal. Using his constructivist approach to interlink art and architecture he takes images out of context or changes their relationship to each other either by manipulating size, juxtaposing images from different periods of time or by contrasting a beautiful background with its political or social meaning.
Derek Carruthers was an artist who persisted in asking questions. His whole career was inspired by the determination to enquire into the nature of art, examine its purpose, and attempt to explore that place where the individual life of the mind meets the external appearance of the world where personal sensation rubs up against cultural assumptions. Not surprisingly, Carruthers explored, over the years, a language of pure form, abstract space, 2 and 3 dimensions, narrative and concept, personal and universal figuration. Looking back, over decades of work, however, each of these voices is pursuing a coherent set of questions, reflecting on the stuff of human experience. Carruthuers’ individual pieces can intrigue and charm, they can be warm and poetic and they can also offer gritty resistance to the easy gaze. They can challenge us to think about ourselves, our environment, our expectations, our place in the world.
Carruthers grew up in the north-west of England having been born in Penrith, and one of his earliest memories of what art might be was formed by his encounter with the extraordinary creations of Kurt Schwitters. The latter had fled Germany in 1937, after his art had been labelled ‘degenerate’. He stayed, first, in Norway and then arrived in Britain in 1940. Carruthers had already encountered Schwitters' work as a boy, and had been launched on his own life-long examination of the nature of art.
Carruthers was further inspired by Victor Pasmore and Hamilton (British Constructivists) who were working closely together at King’s College London and eventually offered a challenging course to all first year students. Thus, Carruthers – who was at King’s in 1953 to 1957 was encouraged to take a rigorous approach to probing abstraction, spatial relationships, and the interlinking of art and architecture.
Having had the good fortune to have been an art student at such a time and in such a place, it is not surprising that Carruthers embarked on a voyage of artistic discovery. He showed his works with the major touring exhibition, organised by the Arts Council, in 1963, ‘Construction England’, together with Pasmore and Mary and Kenneth Martin.
His work was also included in exhibitions of new art at the Drian Galleries, Porchester Place, in 1963 to 1965. Reflecting the more recent re-examination of post-War, British Constructivism, Carruthers’ work was also included in the 1992 show, ‘British Abstract Art of the 50s and 60s’, held at the Belgrave Gallery. This early work, in which solid or relief forms change their nature as they – or the viewers – move through space and time, deliberately challenges the human tendency to find comfort in regarding the world as fixed and knowable.
In these years, too, Carruthers taught at Sunderland and Leicester Colleges of Art, before moving to lead the Fine Art course, as a Professor, at Trent Polytechnic (now the Nottingham Trent University). He was a dedicated educator, leaving to pursue his own art, full time, only in the mid 1980s.
Inspired, perhaps, by this freedom, the 1980s saw Carruthers exploring new ideas. He turned from working in 3-dimensions, or collage and relief, and rediscovered the power of traditional materials, oil and watercolour, on canvas and paper. He moved away from Non-Objectivity towards a practice which explored both abstracted and figurative imagery. Throughout, he remained preoccupied with exploring the human condition: by this trite remark, we mean that he continued to question how each individual experiences the world; he explored the ways in which human beings create totems to make their mark, as if to claim immortality; he tries to, ‘symbolise the triangular relationship between humankind and religion and the art / architecture which it inspires’. Hence - as well as warm glimpses of holidays and home life - his work yields the Egyptian pyramid, the Graeco-Roman heroic figure, the Christian monument; and, ultimately, the ‘sexless, ageless, raceless anonymity’ of the artist’s lay figure.
Derek Carruthers continued to ask questions, both about his life in a particular time and place, and about the lot of the human being on a universal scale. As an artist and a scholar, he saw himself at the intersection of these challenging states. And he makes you think........
- Creator:Derek Carruthers
- Creation Year:1986
- Dimensions:Height: 29.93 in (76 cm)Width: 22.05 in (56 cm)Depth: 0.04 in (1 mm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Cotignac, FR
- Reference Number:Seller: GB/Carruthers/BirthofSulpti.1stDibs: LU1430214318822
About the Seller
5.0
Platinum Seller
Premium sellers with a 4.7+ rating and 24-hour response times
Established in 2000
1stDibs seller since 2020
246 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 1 hour
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Cotignac, France
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllSurrealist Gouache Watercolour on Paper.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Late 20th century gouache and watercolour on paper by British artist Derek Carruthers. The painting is signed to the bottom right and signed and dated 1985 to the reverse.
An impos...
Category
Late 20th Century Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Gouache, Watercolor, Paper
Late 20th Century Surrealist Gouache on Paper. 'Stones'.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Late 20th century surrealist gouache and watercolour on paper by British artist Derek Carruthers. SIgned in the bottom right and dated September 1985 ...
Category
Late 20th Century Surrealist Landscape Paintings
Materials
Paper, Watercolor, Gouache
Surrealist Gouache on Paper, 'Threshold or Pagans'.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Contemporary surrealist watercolour and gouache on paper by British artist Derek Carruthers. Signed bottom right.
An intriguing and beautifully pain...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Landscape Paintings
Materials
Gouache, Paper
Surrealist Painting on Paper, 'Godot', Artefacts of Civilisations Lost
Located in Cotignac, FR
A late 20th century watercolour, gouache and acrylic on paper by British artist Derek Carruthers. Signed to the bottom right and dated 1985 and titled, 'Godot' to the reverse.
A charming and slightly satirical painting of thousand year old figures which have been humanised. The Egyptian basalt figures are looking around the space clearly waiting for something or someone (hence the title taken from the play, 'Waiting for Godot' in which someone is expected to arrive but never does). The African tribal figures...
Category
Late 20th Century Surrealist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Gouache
Surrealist Gouache on Paper.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Watercolour and gouache on paper painting titled 'Siamese Slaves' by British artist Derek Carruthers, signed to the bottom right and to the reverse and dated 2008 and titled.
A colo...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Gouache, Watercolor, Paper
Colourful Contemporary Surrealist Acrylic Painting on Paper.
Located in Cotignac, FR
An early 21st century surrealist acrylic on paper by British artist Derek Carruthers. Signed to the bottom right and signed and dated to the reverse.
...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Surrealist Abstract Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
You May Also Like
Impossible Solutions at The Fountain of Youth
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Impossible Solutions at The Fountain of Youth
Collage on paper, 1987
Signed with the artist's initials and datedlower left
Condition: Good, with the ...
Category
1980s Surrealist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper
Surrealist composition by José Gerson n°2 - Gouache on paper 42x62 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper without frame
Category
1970s Surrealist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Pastel, Gouache, Carbon Pencil
Allegory - Original Watercolor on Paper by Jean Delpech - 1960s
By Jean Delpech
Located in Roma, IT
"Allegory" (1937) is an original drawing in watercolor on paper, realized by Jean Delpech (1916-1988).
The state of preservation of the artwork is very good.
Sheet dimension: 14.6 x 23.2 cm.
The artwork represents beautiful allegory with gloomy color, dark watercolor...
Category
1960s Modern Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor
Composition - Original Drawing in Watercolor by Leo Guida - 1985
By Leo Guida
Located in Roma, IT
Composition is an original Contemporary artwork realized in 1985 by the italian Contemporary artist Leo Guida (1992 - 2017).
Original drawing in watercolor on ivory-colored card...
Category
1980s Contemporary Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor
Richard Whalen "Jeffery's Toy's" Original Watercolor Painting c.1970
By Richard Whalen
Located in San Francisco, CA
Richard Whalen (American, 1926-2009)
"Jeffery's Toy's" Original Watercolor Painting c.1970s
The artist uses a surreal technique which highlights the ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Surrealist Still-life Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
"Three Medusas, " Eugene Berman, Surrealism, Greek Still Life
By Eugene Berman
Located in New York, NY
Eugene Gustavovitch Berman (1899 - 1972)
Three Medusas, 1968
Watercolor on paper
12 x 9 1/2 inches
Initialed and dated lower right
Provenance:
Larcada Gallery, New York
Frank Oehlsc...
Category
1960s Surrealist Still-life Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Paper, Watercolor
$4,400 Sale Price
20% Off
More Ways To Browse
Female Surrealists Art
British Landscape Female Artist
Egyptian Pyramids
Egyptian Monuments
Converse Vintage
Oil Derek
Mary Hamilton
Paintings Of Egypt Pyramids
Kenneth King
Vintage Statues Of Mary
Assumption Of Mary
Derek Carruthers
Noah Noah Noah
Sea Cliff Painting
Antique Oil Painting Of Castle
Oil Painting Italy Coast
People Gathering Painting
Boulder Colorado