Art: The Tate Britain's Ithell Colquhoun Exhibition

I’ve finally got to see the art exhibition so many of my pagan friends have been saying is wonderful – and I agree with them. It’s Ithell Colquhoun exhibition at the Tate Britain. When I was there I took the photos you can see on this post. 

The Tate’s description describes her as: “One of the most radical artists of her generation.” She lived from 1906 to 1988 and was part of the British Surrealism movement, but like many female artists was often overlooked. This exhibition will hopefully correct that, as it’s the largest display of her work so far, tracing her evolution from her early days to later intertwining art with perspectives on sexual identity, ecology, magic and mysticism.

It starts with early paintings from her time at the Slade School of Fine Art. These show her combining biblical subjects with occultist elements, challenging social convention to express her own beliefs. The exhibition then explores Colquhoun’s visual and conceptual engagement with Surrealism in the 1930s and 40s. 

A turning point came in 1939 when she met Gordon Onslow Ford and Roberto Matta, who were using surrealist automatist techniques to create imagery through chance rather than conscious control, intended to mine both the human psyche and other metaphysical realms. This approach became central to the evolution of Colquhoun’s intertwining artistic and occultist practice during the early 1940s when she moved away from traditional painting techniques, and explored the spiritual possibilities of automatism. 

Colquhoun’s immersion in occultism developed increasingly into the 1940s, embracing ancient philosophical principles including alchemy, paganism, animism and mysticism, coupled with her individual ideas about gender fluidity and interest in harnessing a divine feminine power. Created for her own spiritual progression as well as for public display, her works in this period are full of magical symbolism, flowing energy channels and portals to extra dimensions. Other groups of works reflect kabbalistic, tantric and alchemical ideas, portraying the merging of male and female forms to create an androgynous whole.

Colquhoun’s understanding of the world as a connected spiritual cosmos brought her to Cornwall from the early 1940s, where she deepened her creative explorations inspired by the region’s ancient landscape, mythology, and neolithic monuments. She published extensively: essays, Surrealist novels and atmospheric travelogues including The Living Stones: Cornwall in 1957. Colquhoun’s fascination with the mystic charge of Celtic lands are shown in her visionary works of sacred sites and standing stone configurations in Cornwall, Ireland and Brittany.

The exhibition ends with a section showcasing Colquhoun’s enamel drip techniques which the artist created during the final years of her life. This includes designs for a set of ‘Taro’ cards, in which she departed from figuration altogether.

The Ithell Colquhoun exhibition runs until 19 October at the Tate Britain, Millbank, London SW1P 4RG. Tickets are £18  or free for members. Find out more here: https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain

Previous related posts
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/11/book-review-visions-of-occult-art-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2019/12/goddesses-of-london-britannia-and.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2024/08/pagan-eye-women-artists-and-moon-goddess.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2025/02/pagan-eye-mike-kelleys-switching-marys.html
http://www.badwitch.co.uk/2022/11/ithell-colquhouns-taro-at-college-of.html

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