Robyn Denny
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OverviewRobyn Denny, Generations 19 (1978)
Robyn Denny was born in 1930 in Surrey and belongs to a generation of British abstract artists who, having passed through London art schools in the 1950s, had by the turn of the decade made a decisive break with the pastoral abstraction of the preceding era. By the early 1960s, Denny arrived at what we might call his mature style after absorbing the practical example of recent American abstract painting. Denny explored a range of solutions to his theoretical interests in contemporary notions of social interactivity and the nature of language, symbol, and image in art. From this point onwards, pared down abstract compositions were to form the bulk of Denny's production. In 1966, Denny was selected - alongside Anthony Caro, Richard Smith, and Bernard and Harold Cohen - to represent Britain at the Venice Biennale and by 1973 became the youngest artist ever to be given a retrospective by the Tate.
The artist died on 20 May 2014.
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BiographyRobyn Denny, Generations 9+ (1978)
1930 Born in Surrey, England
1950s Attended London art schools. Part of a generation of British abstract artists who made a decisive break with pastoral abstraction of the preceding era
Late 1950s - Early 1960s Absorbed practical examples from recent American abstract painting. Explored theoretical interests in social interactivity and the nature of language, symbol, and image in art
Early 1960s Arrived at mature abstract style. Pared down abstract compositions became the bulk of his production from this point onwards
1966 Selected to represent Britain at the Venice Biennale alongside Anthony Caro, Richard Smith, and Bernard and Harold Cohen
1973 Became the youngest artist ever to be given a retrospective by the Tate Gallery
2014 Died on 20 May
SELECTED EXHIBTIONS
1953 Young Contemporaries, RBA Galleries, London
1954 Young Contemporaries, RBA Galleries, London
1956 Young Contemporaries, RBA Galleries, London
1957 Young Contemporaries, RBA Galleries, London
1957 New Trends in British Art, New York Art Foundation, Rome
1958 British Abstract Painting, Auckland City Art Gallery; touring to National Gallery of Art, Sydney
1961 Art of Assemblage, Museum of Modern Art, New York
1963 British Painting in the 60's, Tate Gallery, London
1970 Contemporary British Art, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
1977 Annual Show, Hayward Gallery, London
1977 Jubilee Exhibition, Royal Academy, London
1984 The Serpentine Gallery, London
1993-1994 The Sixties Art Scene in London, Barbican Art Centre, London
2008 Robyn Denny: Paintings from the '60s, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London
2017 Caro, Denny, Smith, Vaux, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London
2019 Robyn Denny: On Paper, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London
2019 Some of the Artists I Have Worked For, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London
2019 Prints I Wish I Had Published, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London
2019 Prints I Published, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London
2022 Denny, Hoyland, Smith, Vaux: On Paper, Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Tate Gallery, London
Museum of Modern Art, New York
Arts Council of England
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Arts Institute, Chicago
National Gallery of Australia, Sydney
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
Yale Centre for British Art, New Haven
Scottish National Gallery for Modern Art, Edinburgh
British Council
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Works
Robyn Denny
Generations 22, 1978Etching with aquatint on watercolour wash on paper53 x 71 cms (21 x 28 ins)Edition of 35, Set of 24
Published by Bernard Jacobson LtdSigned, numbered, and dated (recto)All prints come with a certificate of authenticity issued by the gallery.All prints come with a certificate of authenticity issued by the gallery.Exhibitions
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Denny, Hoyland, Smith, Vaux: On Paper
2 February - 5 March 2022Bernard Jacobson Gallery presents Denny, Hoyland, Smith, Vaux: On Paper, an exhibition of works by Modern British icons Robyn Denny, John Hoyland, Richard Smith and Marc Vaux. Departing from the... -
Prints I published
12 February - 9 March 2019In 1969 Bernard Jacobson began his career as an art dealer, selling and publishing prints by important contemporary artists from a small fourth-floor gallery in London’s Mayfair. For a gallery... -
Prints I wish I had published
11 January - 9 February 2019In 1969 Bernard Jacobson opened his first London gallery – a fourth-floor walk-up on Mount Street, Mayfair, dealing in prints by international stars, including Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg, as... -
Some of the artists I have worked for
10 September - 5 October 2019To end the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the gallery, we are delighted to introduce a selection of works by the artists that helped shaping its success. -
Robyn Denny: Works on Paper
11 October - 16 November 2019Bernard Jacobson Gallery is delighted to present an exhibition of works on paper by the celebrated British artist Robyn Denny, one of the most original and significant painters of the... -
Caro, Denny, Smith, Vaux
2 February - 4 March 2017Bernard Jacobson Gallery is delighted to present its upcoming exhibition Caro, Denny, Smith, Vaux, including works by gallery artists Anthony Caro, Robyn Denny, Richard Smith, and Marc Vaux. The show... -
Robyn Denny: Paintings from the '60s
19 December 2007 - 20 January 2008Dating from the 1960s, Robyn Denny's paintings on display at Bernard Jacobson Gallery belong to one of the most accomplished periods of the artist's career to date. The works continue... -
The 70s: Explosion of Colours
Online Exhibition 28 April - 30 May 2020
Art Fairs
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Frieze Masters
17 - 20 October 2013 -
IFPDA Fine Art Print Fair
2 - 6 November 2016View Artsy Fair Booth -
London Original Print Fair
5 - 8 May 2016View Artsy Fair Booth -
IFPDA Print Fair
27 - 30 October 2022Bernard Jacobson Gallery is pleased to participate in the 2022 edition of the IFPDA Print Fair at the Javits Center in New York. The gallery will present a selection of...
Publications
