In St Ives – as in many places – tradition met modern in the twentieth century
This room introduces artists who congregated in West Cornwall around the middle of the last century. It considers how they developed new modern styles and were influenced by the self-taught painter Alfred Wallis who worked from a cottage nearby Tate St Ives. Artists such as Christopher Wood, Denis Mitchell, Margaret Mellis and Wilhelmina Barns-Graham were each inspired by Wallis’s unusual materials, techniques and simplified images, creating abstract paintings and sculptures in unorthodox ways. Some immersed their work in the landscapes, traditions and mythologies of Cornwall, drawing meanings which aligned with their modern ways of living. From this Cornish coastal town, they contributed to international debates about the purpose of art and established St Ives as a centre for artistic innovation in the mid-20th century.
Spotlight on Alfred Wallis (1855–1942)
Wallis painted his experience of living on the coast of Cornwall and his memories of working at sea. His work has influenced many artists, including Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Christopher Wood, Ben Nicholson and Margaret Mellis, also displayed in this room.
Wallis lived in a cottage near Porthmeor Beach, now just around the corner from Tate St Ives. He worked as a sailor, fisherman, then scrap merchant before he taught himself to paint in later life. He often lived in poverty, painting from his kitchen table and using discarded marine paints and grocery boxes that he found. His work influenced other artists who were exploring ideas of abstract art at the time. Some were inspired by his simplified shapes, flattened perspective, and unusual materials, and others by the mythologies of Cornish seafaring in his pictures. Although Wallis didn’t sell many works in his lifetime, his paintings remain popular with visitors to St Ives.
Tate St Ives
Level 3
Ongoing
Entry to both the display and the gallery is free for Tate Members, Locals' Pass holders and under 18s.
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