LONDON.- Hoxton Gallery is presenting The Unseen Paintings, 1954-1960, a survey of works in oil by the late Keith Cunningham.

Cunningham, who died in 2014 aged 85, was a contemporary of Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff at the Royal College of Art in the mid-1950s. Auerbach recently recalled his 'outstanding talent,' and his tutor, John Minton (1917 – 1957), described him as ‘one of the most gifted painters to have worked at the Royal College’.

On graduating from the college in 1956, Cunningham exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Beaux Arts Gallery – then one of the most influential galleries in London – at the invitation of its director, Helen Lessore (1907 – 1994). His work was shown twice with the prestigious London Group, where it was singled out by The Times art critic for its power and suggestive presence; meanwhile, The Jewish Chronicle spoke of the intense yet controlled atmosphere of his work.

While he was supported by influential collectors of the time, such as Hans and Elsbeth Juda, as well as public institutions in the UK and abroad, in 1960 Cunningham declined all further invitations to exhibit. Instead he pursued a highly successful career as a graphic artist. He continued painting, visiting his studio every day. Few, however, got to see the fruits of his labours. One who did was the writer Mike Dempsey. In an article for Design Week, he wrote of a studio visit: ‘The room was full to bursting with paintings. Neatly covered and stacked to protect them from dust. The windows were sealed shut and the lack of air, combined with an extremely hot evening, made me feel faint. I was allowed to leave the studio door open for air, only to have it hastily closed when he heard footsteps, saying, ‘I don’t want any of those people snooping in here.’

This exhibition, the first of a series that are planned, focuses on three bodies of work. In the gallery’s first room are two suites of paintings which have been titled ‘Heads’ and ‘Skulls’†. Cunningham did not identify the subjects of the former - he did not use sitters, preferring instead to sketch people around London while on the bus or sitting in cafes. The influence of Rembrandt is evident in these works, not just in the somber colour palette, but also by their intensity. They are all deeply psychological, evoking a raw humanity that in some works is harrowing – in Head no. 6 (ca 1954 – 1960), for example, (image above right), and in others revealing of deep pathos.

The ‘Skull’ works, of which seven are presented here, are a continuation of Cunningham’s interest in life and death. Morbid and explicit, they are in the tradition of Memento Mori and Vanitas works, reminding viewers of the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death. While Skulls no. 5 (ca 1954 – 1960), (image above left), depicts two human craniums, Cunningham also used the skulls of animals, horses and sheep.

In addition to Rembrandt, Cunningham’s practice is indebted to the Spanish Old Masters, particularly Velázquez, whose paintings he experienced first-hand when travelling in Spain in the fifties. As he recalled: ‘Travelling light and full of enthusiasm on an adventure of discoveries and rewards. Starting on a sunny morning at the Prado and coming face to face, without realizing its scale and impact from reproductions, Velázquez’ Las Meninas – everything perfect – magnificent and that rare ‘other thing.’ This influence is evidenced in the composition Fighting Dogs (ca 1956 – 1960), a large-scale work displayed in gallery’s rear viewing space, where it is possible also to see the arid and emotionally charged Spanish landscapes of Picasso’s Guernica (1937), and Goya’s The Third of May 1808 (1814).

The exhibition has been co-curated by Bobby Hillson and Stephen Rothholz. Says Rothholz: ‘Cunningham was a painter of extraordinary talent, and it has been a hugely rewarding experience helping to put this exhibition together. The great question for me is why, when he appeared to have the world at his feet, when he was being courted by gallerists and acquired by museums and collectors, did he step out of the limelight? Only he could answer that question, but at least this show, the first of many I hope, will allow people to see and enjoy his work.’

Born in Sydney in 1929, Cunningham left school at 15 and worked as a general assistant in the advertisement department of Sydney’s largest retailer, David Jones. He then became the assistant of the eminent Australian designer Gordon Andrews, before moving to London in 1949, aged 20. In London, Cunningham gained a place at Central St Martins whilst also continuing to assist Andrews, who was working as a consultant at the Design Research Unit in London, famously headed by Sir Misha Black. Cunningham worked on projects including major exhibition designs for the Festival of Britain exhibit at the Science Museum. After graduating in 1952, Cunningham took up a place on the Fine Art course at the Royal College of Art, where he worked alongside fellow students Leon Kossoff, Joe Tilson, Frank Auerbach and David Methuen-Campbell.

During this time his paintings came to the attention of Sir Roger de Grey RA, Carol Weight RA and John Minton. In 1956 he left the RCA with an impressive first, along with a travelling and continuation scholarship. He used the travel bursary to explore Spain, but returned to London to complete his continuation scholarship. During this time he exhibited at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition, the Beaux Arts Gallery and later with the prestigious London Group show for two consecutive years. This culminated in Cunningham being asked to submit work for full membership to the group, however he demurred, and from 1967 onwards he declined to exhibit his work publicly. There are examples of his work in the Olinda Museum in Brazil, North West Trust Collection in Northern Ireland and the private collection of Elisabeth Juda.

Cunningham worked from then on in a variety of graphic roles, including lecturing at the London College of Printing, as an accomplished exhibition designer in his own right, on magazine editorials, book cover designs with publisher Peter Owen, and as a consultant art director with the ad agency John Collins. Cunningham died in 2014.


† Cunningham did not title his paintings, and very few have the exact date of execution