Mondrian at the Tate Liverpool - OUCA401

On the 2nd of October, we made an educational visit to the Tate Liverpool which was holding an exhibition of Mondrin's life works to mark the 70th anniversary of his death. The Dutch painter was most renowned for his works in 'neoplasticism' and was a key part of the De Stijl art movement.

'Reconstruction of 26 Rue du Départ'

"The studio comes with a mythology; it is seen somewhat romantically, as a place for pure creation, continuing in space the the artist's thinking process"

It is not necessarily this piece that influenced Mondrian's work, but the Montparnass district of Paris is Mondrian's most most famous studio. When he moved to Paris in 1911, he first settled on a place that had undergone rigorous development, and his fascination with not only the new structures, but the debris of the past ones were seen in his works. And thks shows that Mondrian saw urban development as part of human evolution towards a more abstract environment - the abstraction here is seen as something that is ever-changing. His studio was and still is seen as an incredibly contemporary experimental space where Mondrian rethought abstraction daily. He literally used his walls as a canvas to create and compose his artworks. This is apparent in his pieces as architecture was a heavy influence, showing a clear relationship between architectural space and the outside world by using primary colours and straight lines - the foundation of any creation. It it also well known that Mondrian was inspired by the road systems and in particular the grid systems in New York which formed these box-like compositions. It illustrates how the painterly space of Mondrian's canvasses was in constant dialogue with their direct surroundings. He was also inspired by nature; trees and buildings are motifs that run throughout his career. This work shows Mondrian was at one with his environment, the studio became an area of evolution and continuation with his work. It consistently looked into the future with his pieces, directing him to the most ambitious developments of his art.