Friday 12 August 2022
Jo Bruton
Haptic Vision: Rosa Lee and Jo Bruton at Richard Saltoun
An exhibition of the work of Jo Bruton and Rosa Lee will open at Richard Saltoun Gallery, London, 20 August-1 October.
The exhibition puts into focus Bruton and Lee's influence on abstract and feminist art in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s. Inspired by the American Pattern & Decoration movement, Bruton and Lee created a new type of abstraction that made use of traditionally feminine decorative elements – like patterning, beading and collage – to dismantle the hierarchy of fine art over craft. In doing so, they raised questions about the validity of modernist conventions and reclaimed the position of women within the history of painting.
"Rosa was a dear friend. We showed this work together 20 years ago. It was great to see the paintings again after such a long time, and to remember our conversations about painting. The necessity of 'making', of being within that space as a primary concern, where the Subject is nearby and woven into the repetitions and patterns of everyday life." - Jo Bruton, 2022