Compendium

In this exhibition at the Mucsarnok Kunstalle, Budapest, (www.mucsarnok.hu) I exhibited 'Compendium', a 50-part painting (170 x 340cms) comprised of 50 of the 53 (note 1) individual 'History Paintings' commenced 1994, completed 2005 (see output 1). Each individual canvas of 'Compendium' measures 30 x 30cms (the originals range in size from 40 x 40cms to 150 x 150cms) and was made in exactly the same way as the individual 'History Paintings'. My motivation for making 'Compendium' was to make a work where the chronological shifts from Cave to C20th could be seen together, and remain together. Throughout the eleven years of making of the individual 'History Paintings' they were exhibited widely both in the UK and abroad. Works were acquired for public and private collections and the overall sense of the concept became dispersed. 'Compendium' guaranteed the core concept would remain in tact in this single 50-part work.

The exhibition was conceived to make a definitive exhibition and catalogue of contemporary International Monochrome Painting. My work was curated alongside that of artists including Charlton, Davenport, Innes, Knoebel and Umberg. The 154 page full colour catalogue contained essays from each curator and was funded by eight international agencies.

'Compendium' was acquired for the permanent collection of the Karl Ernst Osthaus Museum, Germany.

(note 1) 3 of the paintings could not be made at that time - the pigments 'Chalk', 'Phthalocyanine Blue' and 'Phthalocyanine Green' were water based paints and therefore technically unable to exist other than as the first glaze. The latter two have since become available as oil based paint.