Edward Middleditch: Paintings and Prints
Date: April 2004
Exhibition/Show Type:
Solo
Media: Painting, Printmaking
Exhibition Description
Two short texts taken from the exhibition catalogue
An Essay on Edward Middleditch by Bryan Robertson (.pdf, will open in a separate window)
A Memoir by Edward Middleditch’s daughter (.pdf, will open in a separate window)
The complete exhibition catalogue (.pdf, will open in a separate window)
Middleditch was a painter, draughtsman and printmaker. He drew his motifs from the natural world, including grasses, water, feathers, opening petals and reflections. Gradually shifting observed patterns became fleeting abstracted movements, often caught from water currents and light effects. His later work became much more abstracted, concerned with repeating patterns as if seen from above and filling the picture-frame; drawing influence from kilims and Persian carpets. (Wikipedia)
Starting his career painting in the ‘Kitchen Sink’ realist style, Edward Middleditch later created semi-abstract works based on landscape and natural motifs.
Middleditch undertook active military service in the Second World War for which he was awarded the Military Cross.
After the War, he attended the Royal College of Art (RCA) from 1949 to 1952, where he was taught by Ruskin Spear RA, Carel Weight RA and John Minton.
Together with fellow art students Derrick Greaves, Jack Smith and John Bratby, in the 1950s Middleditch established the ‘Kitchen Sink’ school of realism, portraying everyday life in post-War Britain by painting domestic scenes and objects.
From 1954 Middleditch worked part-time as a teacher of painting at various art colleges including St Martin’s, Chelsea and Norwich where he was Head of Fine Art from 1964 to 1984.
During the 1960s, he became more interested in the natural world and began painting semi-abstract landscape scenes, often incorporating repeating patterns of floral motifs. His works evoke the fleeting movement of light or reflections in water and he took much inspiration from Persian carpet designs. (Royal Academy)
Material for this entry in The Cut Archive is currently being prepared.
