Patrick Heron | Victor Pasmore: VIII São Paulo Biennial 1965 Great Britain – revisited

This exhibition of work by Patrick Heron and Victor Pasmore celebrates sixty years since they both represented Britain at the VIII São Paulo Biennial in 1965. The Biennial was a significant event for both artists and, also more broadly, for Britain as a country in establishing itself as one of the primary players in the development of abstraction on the international stage.

The selection brings together ten examples by each artist dating from the period 1952 to 1964. Many of the works were included in the original São Paulo show and together they give a sense of the scale and impact that the original display had on an audience largely unfamiliar with British Modernism. Although the aesthetic differences between Heron and Pasmore’s work are stark, both artists shared a rigorous approach to their practice which allowed them to push the boundaries of abstraction down untrodden paths; Heron exploring the visual complexities of colour and Pasmore that of space.

By 1965 both Heron and Pasmore had well-established careers in Britain and were producing some of their most important work. The significant influence that they each had on the development of abstract painting in Britain and beyond was recognised by their selection for the Biennial, and their shared artistic values and common interests made them as exciting a pairing in 1965 as indeed they remain today.