Inge Clayton F.R.S.A.

Inge Clayton has lived and worked in London since arriving from Austria in the sixties. She studied life drawing, collage and printmaking at the Camden Arts Centre and soon developed her individual style, though traditional concepts of beauty do not interest her. It is naturally assumed that works of art that exalt the eroticism of the female body must have originated in the eyes of a man: Inge Clayton and her passion for the human form prove this assumption wrong. The eroticism of her work, however, is not simply contained in her subject matter. The contrast between the pale flesh of the veiled and exposed bodies and the darker potent space which envelopes them is ambiguous, yet seductive: in those tensions lies their enigmatic allure. British critics are often quick to point out the European heritage in this painter's work and have likened her to artists such as Otto Dix, Kokoschka, and perhaps George Grosz, but her nudes are sensuous and painterly in style, very much her own. Above all this connection to her roots is the most striking when one considers how powerful her nudes remain despite their naked or half-dressed abandonment and apparent vulnerability. There is nothing British and oblique about their gaze. Her figures may look at you, unabashed, a little startled, or may prefer to contemplate some dark corners of their soul, amused, pensive, or even with genuine ennui. When they abandon themselves, they surrender as much to the richness of the paint as to the viewer's eye. In 1992 Dr Peter Marginter, the Austrian Cultural Attaché, observed when opening the exhibition at the Anna Mei Chadwick Gallery:"Inge's women in particular, invariably sensual or erotic, sometimes sinister or humorous, came from the same background as Schiele's nudes, born as victims of male oppression... but her powerful naked or scantily dressed figures seem to be quite independent, free to choose or refuse." Clayton's restless energy has turned to sculpting the human figure and horses, a further affirmation to her ability.Inge Clayton is a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy. Other notable exhibitions include the Royal Society of Art; Art for Equality at the ICA; Kunsthaus Schaller, Stuttgart; The Camden Arts Centre; Lumley Cazalet; and Galerie Mozart-Salzburg. lf you have any queries, please phone me on: +44 (0)20 7642 2646

 

Solo Exhibitions: Margaret Fischer Gallery, 1979 Artellier Gallery, 1984 Boundary Gallery, 1985 Usiskin Gallery, 1989 St.Judes Gallery, 1990 Anna Mei Chadwick Gallery, 1990 The Stable Gallery, 1990 The Stable Gallery, 1991 Usiskin Gallery, 1992 Anna Mei Chadwick Gallery, 1992 The Pavillion (Brighton), 1992 The Blackheath Gallery at the Royal College of Art, 1993 Arts Intaglio Gallery (Manchester), 1993 The Centaur Gallery, 1994 Anna Mei Chadwick Gallery, 1994 The Printwork Gallery, 1994 The Catto Gallery, 1994 Enid Lawson Gallery, 1995 Anna Mei Chadwick Gallery, 1996 Zella Contemporary Art, 1997 The Catto Gallery, 1998 Enid Lawson Gallery, 1998 The Proud Gallery, 1998 Affordable Art Exhibition, 1999 Enid Lawson Gallery, 1999 The Blackheath Gallery, 1999 Studio Quadro Gallery, 1999 Enid Lawson Gallery, 2000 Artis Gallery, 2000 Enid Lawson Gallery, 2001 The Catto Gallery, 2002 Enid Lawson Gallery, 2002 Affordable Art, Battersea, London 2002 Affordable Art, New York 2002 Art on Paper Fair, Royal College of Art, London 2002 Enid Lawson Gallery, 2003 The Metal Gallery, London 2004 The Catto Gallery, 2005