Art on paper since 1960: the Hamish Parker collection

22 Sep 2022-5 Mar 2023

Overview

From Lucian Freud to Kiki Smith, life drawing to minimalism and etching to collage, this exhibition spans an intriguing range of styles and techniques used in art on paper from 1960 to today.

Comprising over 100 prints and drawings, the show presents a selection from around 150 works of art donated by Hamish Parker, a long-term supporter of the British Museum. Judged to be pre-eminent, Parker's gift was accepted by the government under the Cultural Gifts Scheme and allocated to the Museum in 2020.

The works on display date from 1960 to 2017, except for an etching by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) from 1933. This is a nod to Parker's first major gift to the Museum in 2011 – the funds to purchase Picasso's Vollard Suite of 100 etchings made in the 1930s. The most recent works are by the German artist Caroline Kryzecki (b. 1979) and the British artist Sam Messenger (b. 1980), both of whom produce intricate, systematic drawings in ink. 

With a strong focus on the US, the exhibition showcases work by leading artists from around the world including Young British Artists Jake and Dinos Chapman (b. 1966, 1962), German abstract painter Blinky Palermo (1943–1977) and Japanese multidisciplinary artist Kusama Yayoi (b. 1929). It includes 'in focus' sections on American artists Carroll Dunham (b. 1949) and Al Taylor (1948–1999) and work by artists who were previously unrepresented in the Museum's collection, such as South Africa's Marlene Dumas (b. 1953) and Vietnam's Tiffany Chung (b. 1969). The result is both an invigorating tour through the last 60 years of art on paper and a fascinating insight into the Museum's contemporary collection, which has been significantly enhanced by this gift.