An Exceptional Occurrence
AGAR, Eileen
Eileen Agar's work, whether collages, objects or paintings focuses primarily on accidental forms of nature and the generation of forms, perceiving in these expressions of fertility. She then takes these forms and redistributes and reinvents them by placing them in either a background the colour of mould-soil forests or as in this work, the bottom of the sea. Agar adopts the reality of natural material and presents it in a surreal, unconscious and mythical setting. There was a dramatic decrease in the production of work by Agar during the Second World War, but the post-war period brought a new phase of enthusiasm and colour. An Exceptional Occurrence epitomises this period of renewal. It combines images of shells, seaweed and man-made objects to create unimaginable, surreal sea creatures.
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