Vivace 1988 - Sandra Blow RA - Framed art Print

Sandra Blow (1925 - 2006) was an art student at St. Martin’s School of Art under Ruskin Spear's tutelage from 1941 to 1946. Briefly studying at the Royal Academy (1946–47), she later joined the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome, under Nicolas Carone's instruction in 1947. Here, she encountered Alberto Burri, an Italian abstract artist who kindled her passion for abstraction.Blow and Burri journeyed across Italy for a year, spending a short stint in Paris. Blow's return to England in 1950 marked her complete immersion into abstraction, as she began to experiment with varied materials, such as hessian, PVC, plaster, paper, ash, tea, sawdust, and sand, along with collage techniques.

Blow was a pioneering figure in the 1950s British abstract art movement. She stood out as one of the most innovative female artists, challenging the dominance of male artists in the field of abstract art. Blow's works are known for their tactile surfaces, prominent geometric shapes, and natural tones achieved through unconventional methods like tea-dying her canvases.

"Space And Matter," a well known piece from 1959, highlights Blow's creative use of materials, replicating the textures of wood, tar, flame, and sea spray. In the 1970s, Blow collaborated with architect Eric Defty, beginning to include more geometric shapes in her work.Between 1960 and 1975, she taught at the Royal College of Art, had a studio in Chelsea, and continued to showcase her work till the mid-60s. She was honored as a Royal Academician in 1978.