I can’t do better than echo what the RA magazine said about this: “this book is a delight.” I would also say that a serious look at the work of Mary Fedden, who died in 2012, is timely, but the fact is that this is a paperback reissue, the book having first appeared in 2007. It’s appropriate that it should be available again, though.
Fedden was, of course, mostly known as a painter of still lifes, but she also experimented widely in a variety of media, and fantasy and imagination played a strong role, particularly in her small gouaches. She also exhibited a surreal streak and, sometimes, a sharp sense of humour. All of this is apparent not only in the over 200 colour plates, but also in the text, which recounts her life and her progression as an artist as well as analysing the nature and structure of her work. Christopher Andreae has worked closely not only with Mary Fedden, but also with her friends and colleagues – an impressive number are acknowledged, to make this a fully-rounded portrait of a much-loved artist.
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