Hyacinths and Cedar, Godolphin (1950)
One of the greatest of 20th Century British artists, Heron was also a brilliant writer and critic of art, and a highly effective campaigner for causes close to his heart.
Born in 1920 in Leeds, Patrick Heron was to spend much of his early childhood in Cornwall, in the artist’ s Mecca of St Ives. Heron’ s father ran the successful textile company there Crysede Silks, and from an early age, Patrick was exposed to artistic talent from McKnight Kauffer to Paul Nash who were commissioned by the company and later by Cresta Silks, which Tom Heron founded in Welyn Garden City.
At the tender age of fourteen Heron submitted his first design for his father’ s textile business and it was an immediate success. Heron knew from an early age he wanted to be an artist. The Second World War, as for most artists, brutally interrupted his development. True to his families’ principles (his father was a great socialist and pacifist) Heron declared himself a conscientious objector and did three years agricultural service in Cambridgeshire. On leave he took a break to Cornwall and inspired by what he saw there returned in January 1944 to work for Bernard Leach as a journeyman potter. Leach was a family friend but had a profound influence on Heron as a young artist with his creative integrity and artistic philosophy.
In 1945 Heron moved to London, to Holland Park, but was to return to Cornwall each summer until 1955 when he purchased Eagles Nest in Zennor, where he was to remain for the rest of his life.
In 1947 Heron’ s first one-man exhibition was held at the Redfern Gallery in London. Early Braque-influenced linear figuration gave way from the mid 50s to a fully liberated abstraction with his Tachiste Garden Paintings and Stripe Paintings.
He continued painting until the day before he died in March 1999 at the age of 79.
Patrick Heron's paintings are held in public collections worldwide.