{"product_id":"john-mitchell-square-pyramid-capped-c-1984","title":"John Mitchell — Square Pyramid, Capped, c.1984","description":"\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA substantial oil on canvas by British painter and sculptor John Mitchell (1943–2014), whose work explored the expressive possibilities of geometry, proportion and colour.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMitchell established a significant exhibition career in Britain and continental Europe, with solo exhibitions at Camden Arts Centre, London, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, and Galerie Swart, Amsterdam. He exhibited at the Serpentine Gallery in 1980, and his work was included in the Arts Council\/South Bank Centre exhibition \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Presence of Painting: Aspects of British Abstraction 1957–1988\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. A respected teacher alongside his own practice, he held influential posts at Stourbridge, Birmingham and Cardiff, and a Gregory Fellowship at Leeds University.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhile at Leeds, Mitchell invited the American minimalist sculptor Carl Andre to lecture, hosting him at his home during the visit. Their friendship offers a personal connection to the wider international exploration of geometry, repetition and sculptural form—concerns that Mitchell developed through a distinctive language of his own.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePainted around 1984, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSquare Pyramid, Capped\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e explores the geometric forms that would feature in his 1987 Ikon exhibition, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCones, Pyramids, Piers \u0026amp; Projections\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. A truncated pyramid rises across a deep oxide-red field, its violet face divided by dark horizontal lines. These repeated bands give it a stepped, architectural rhythm, drawing the eye towards its flattened summit. The adjoining face almost disappears into the red ground, its diagonal divisions suggesting a structure emerging from the surrounding colour.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA broad violet border encloses the composition, echoing the pyramid and containing its assertive perspective within the rectangle of the canvas. Visible brushwork and shifting densities of pigment soften the precision of the drawing. The geometry is carefully measured; the paint retains the movement of the hand.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis balance gives the painting its particular character: architectural weight, rich colour and a surface that rewards closer looking. The pyramid appears solid at one moment and begins to dissolve into intersecting planes at the next. At more than a metre wide, it has considerable presence, with enough complexity to sustain attention well beyond its first impression.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVery good condition.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMedium\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOil on canvas, c.1984.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHeight 99 cm × width 123 cm.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDelivery\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis painting requires specialist delivery. Please contact us with your postcode for a delivery quotation before purchasing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Disjecta Membra","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":61211322220878,"sku":null,"price":1250.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0791\/6201\/6078\/files\/IMG_0002_7_8d9e8f95-c30a-4634-ad07-cb2e8131009d.jpg?v=1791987251","url":"https:\/\/disjecta.co.uk\/products\/john-mitchell-square-pyramid-capped-c-1984","provider":"Disjecta Membra","version":"1.0","type":"link"}