In an undated note bequeathed to the Tate Archive in 1992, Eileen Agar (1899–1991) writes of her admiration for the author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: “Lewis Carroll is a mysterious master of time and imagination, the Herald of Sur-Realism and freedom, a prophet of the Future and an uprooter of the Past, with a literary and visual sense of the Present.” The same could be said of Agar, whose long career as an artist spanned most of the twentieth century and intersected with some of the prevailing movements of the time, including Cubism and surrealism. Her timeless work—including the oil painting Alice with Lewis Carroll—will be on view through August 29 at the Whitechapel Gallery’s “Eileen Agar: Angel of Anarchy,” the largest exhibition yet of the sui generis artist’s oeuvre. A selection of images from the show appears below.
Eileen Agar, Erotic Landscape, 1942, collage on paper, 10 x 12″. Private collection. Estate of Eileen Agar/Bridgeman Images. Photograph courtesy Pallant House Gallery, Chichester © Doug Atfield.
Eileen Agar, Dance of Peace, 1945, collage and gouache on paper. Private collection. Estate of Eileen Agar/Bridgeman Images.
Eileen Agar, Quadriga, 1935, oil on canvas, 20 x 24″. Courtesy of The Penrose Collection. Estate of Eileen Agar/Bridgeman Images.
Eileen Agar, Collective Unconscious, 1977, acrylic on canvas, 41 3/8 x 40 1/8″. Courtesy of Royal Academy of Arts. Estate of Eileen Agar/Bridgeman Images.
Eileen Agar, Joseph Sleeping, 1929, oil on board. Courtesy of Redfern Gallery, London. Estate of Eileen Agar/Bridgeman Images.
Eileen Agar, Precious Stones, 1936, collage on paper, 10 1/4 x 8 1/4″. Courtesy of Leeds Museums and Galleries. Estate of Eileen Agar/Bridgeman Images.
Eileen Agar, Eileen Agar, 1927, oil on canvas, 30 1/8 x 25 1/4″. NPG 5881. Estate of Eileen Agar/Bridgeman Images.
Eileen Agar, Alice with Lewis Carroll, 1961, oil on canvas. Private collection. Estate of Eileen Agar/Bridgeman Images. Image courtesy private collection.
Eileen Agar, Untitled collage, 1936, mixed media and collage on paper, 29 3/4 x 21″. Courtesy of Mayor Gallery. Estate of Eileen Agar/Bridgeman Images.
Eileen Agar, Self-Portrait with Dandy, West Bay, Dorset, 1934, drawing with collaged leaf. Private collection. Estate of Eileen Agar/Bridgeman Images.
Eileen Agar, Rock 3, 1985, acrylic on canvas, 23 5/8 x 23 5/8″. Courtesy of Redfern Gallery, London. Estate of Eileen Agar/Bridgeman Images.
Photograph of Agar wearing Ceremonial Hat for Eating Bouillabaisse, 1936. Photograph. Private collection. Estate of Eileen Agar/Bridgeman Images.
“Eileen Agar: Angel of Anarchy” will be on view at the Whitechapel Gallery, in London, through August 29.
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