British artist Euan Uglow (1932–2000) maintained a lower profile than others of his generation, yet his beautiful, intelligent, humane, and often witty landscapes, still lifes, and figure studies are today gaining the recognition they so clearly deserve. Many critics and admirers now consider Uglow one of Britain’s greatest post-war artists.
This is the first book devoted to Uglow and his oeuvre. Richard Kendall’s essay explores Uglow’s fundamental attitudes, beliefs, and processes in the years 1950 to 1970, and Catherine Lampert looks at the content and personal nature of the artist’s paintings over a lifetime, emphasizing his growing attention to color and light. The volume reproduces every known oil painting by Uglow—a total of more than 400 works--some 80 of which are here reproduced for the first time. In addition to a chronology, bibliography, and exhibition history for each work, the catalogue entries provide many other details and illuminating notes, including the artist’s own observations.
A significant book fitting for a significant artist This handsome volume opens with two essays. The first essay looks at the young artist and his development; his time at art school, first Camberwell and then The Slade, and considers those who influenced him, especially William Coldstream. The second essay looks more particularly at the artist's main body of work, and considers again the influences.
The fully illustrated catalogue section provides much additional information about the individual pieces, many being accompanied by detailed descriptions and interesting facts about their production, often including the artist's own comments. The reproductions vary is size considerably, there are a good number of full-page or near full-page images, but at the other end of the scale a large number are very small. In total there are well over 400 of the artist's works illustrated, according to the publishers this includes every known oil painting, about 80 of which are reproduced here for the first time. In addition to the paintings there are also a number of representative drawings, designs, and a few rather personal more suggestive pieces.
The book includes a chronology, bibliography, and exhibition history for each work.
A quick glance at the content might suggest there is very little information about the man Euan Uglow, but careful reading gradually provides some insight in an almost incidental manner. We learn about the man from his work, and not about the work from the man.
Having the full body of Uglow's oeuvre to consider it becomes immediately apparent where his interests lay; the female nude predominates, still life features strongly too. There are landscapes but nothing like the quantity of the former two, mostly produced during summers away. What comes through strongly from all forms is Uglow's strongly analytical approach, his single minded interest in his subject and his striving for perfection; yet the work is never laboured.
It is a splendid book. The essays are well written and warmly appreciative of the artist and his work. It well designed and superbly illustrated in colour almost throughout, the only complaint being that some of the images are too small.
New Favorite Art Book This book is on the shelf with the favorites. I was ecstatic to hear a complete survey of Uglow's work was being published and I am not disappointed. Some of the images feel dark and maybe kind of small. But there are several hundred in one book. Many of the paintings have descriptions and anecdotes revealing the process or life of the piece. If you're a fan of Uglow, like British figuration, and love painting, it's worth purchasing this.
Uglow, one of the great figurative painters of 21st Century! This is a very fitting tribute and long over due. Uglow is one of the great artists of our century. He does not get the press of Freud but is as good if not better. (Personal preference.) The images as reproduced are sometimes a wee bit small. Having been spoiled with so many great art books with large reproductions, there is little excuse in our day to put out anything less. It still gets 5 stars because I will take whatever I can get. The essays are top notch. The Browse and Darby book is still available from the gallery and reproduces many of his best works at a more appropriate size, but with far fewer paintings. On top of all that, get the book "Some Memories of the Painter" by Susan Campbell which is also available from Browse and DArby. Great anecdotal info on Mr. Uglow.
exceptional overview Contrary to the book description provided by Amazon this is not the first Uglow book, although it is by far the superior due to the increase in material. Uglow is relatively unknown in the US primarily due to his success in Great Britain (virtually his entire ouevre is in the hands of private collectors). He tended to work very slowly and often revisited a painting over many years. Recently, art students interested in figurative representation have been discovering his work. They (the pictures) have a kind of directness of intention and clarity of paint application that appeals to artists looking for integrity in approach. They are refreshingly devoid of post-modern myth making, avoid the hagiography and bravura that accompany so much of contemporary art (e.g. Damien Hurst, Jeff Koons, et.al.) And yet they are unquestionably dense with seriousness and meaning. This is one of the great painters of the 20th century, and this book will undoubtably gain at least five times its current price over the next ten years. Both an aesthetic and economic investment.
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