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Lot 172 THE EDGAR ASTAIRE COLLECTION
John Piper, C.H. (1903-1992)
Still Life (Collage)
Closed21 June 2016
Price Realised
GBP 25,000
More Information
Specialist note
John Piper created this enigmatic work during a period of great personal creativity. It was in the same year, 1933, that he was invited to join the Seven and Five Society, the famous British-based group which included Christopher Wood, Ben Nicholson, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Len Lye and Frances Hodgkins.
The influence of the Cubists, in particular Georges Braque, is obvious to see. Piper had met Braque a few years earlier and had also seen Picasso’s collage works in Paris. Another inspirational element was fellow artist Ben Nicholson who, like Piper, was producing still-life collages.
The naïve style, which the Seven and Five Society actively promoted, suited Piper well and meant he was able to explore new techniques such as the incised outlines of form, the use of patterned objects, wavy lines and collage. Still Life (Collage) is a prime example of Piper’s use of all of these techniques and the result is a work of great lyricism.
The influence of the Cubists, in particular Georges Braque, is obvious to see. Piper had met Braque a few years earlier and had also seen Picasso’s collage works in Paris. Another inspirational element was fellow artist Ben Nicholson who, like Piper, was producing still-life collages.
The naïve style, which the Seven and Five Society actively promoted, suited Piper well and meant he was able to explore new techniques such as the incised outlines of form, the use of patterned objects, wavy lines and collage. Still Life (Collage) is a prime example of Piper’s use of all of these techniques and the result is a work of great lyricism.