‘Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape’ runs until 14 September at The Burton at Bideford. Free entry.
Works by a host of well-known 20th century artists including Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, L.S. Lowry, Patrick Heron and Elisabeth Frink are currently on display in Bideford as part of The Burton’s major summer exhibition.
‘Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape’ examines the intersection of abstraction and landscape in British art from the 1920s to the early 1970s. Organised in collaboration with The Hepworth Wakefield, ‘Into Abstraction’ draws on their extensive holdings of modern art to explore how artists used abstraction during periods of social upheaval to engage with the natural world and human experience.
The exhibition considers landscape in relation to themes such as regionalism, class, sexuality, psychological anxiety, and industry. Created during times of national crisis, these works demonstrate how abstraction offers redemption when realism falls short. As we navigate our own unsettled times, this exhibition underscores the importance of abstraction in understanding the world we live in.
The exhibition also spotlights works by artists connected to North Devon, including Northam-born Allin Braund, who studied at Bideford School of Art, and South West-based Gillian Ayres and Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, who are both represented in The Burton’s permanent collection.
Harriet Cooper, Director of The Burton at Bideford, says:
“The Burton is delighted to collaborate with The Hepworth Wakefield to bring world-class works of modern art to North Devon, many for the first time.
“The rich artistic history of the South West is deeply connected to the power, beauty and complexity of our landscapes. This exhibition helps us reflect on how abstraction has been used as a tool to explore this by artists throughout the 20th century and still to this present day by the many artists and makers in this region.”
The exhibition includes works by over 40 notable artists such as Roger Fry, Duncan Grant, Emmy Bridgwater, Elisabeth Frink, Patrick Heron, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Prunella Clough, L.S. Lowry, and many others.
Installation view, ‘Into Abstraction: Modern British Art and the Landscape’ at The Burton at Bideford, 2025. Photography by Jim Wileman.
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The exhibition runs from 19th July – 14th September at The Burton at Bideford, EX39 2QQ. Free entry.
See www.theburton.org for more details on the exhibition and accompanying events.
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