●●●●○

From an Irish perspective, William Crozier is mainly recognized for the vibrant landscapes he painted at his home in West Cork toward the end of his life. Bright pallets and large canvases are familiar to the public, as well as the deep hues and forms of the lyrical arrangement. However, pre-1990s Crozier had a much bleaker style, influenced by the European Expressionists, Existential writers and political climate of the post-war period.

The Edge of a Landscape at IMMA takes on the organization of an artistic catalogue so diverse as to have a screaming skeleton frozen as its skin burns, in reference to the Nuclear Holocaust, across the hall from colorful Spanish-influenced rolling hills. The exhibition creates an incredibly moving experience by displaying Crozier’s work in reverse chronological order by decade, starting immediately with his well-known style and familiar settings featured in the last decade of his life. As you walk through the well-planned rooms, you’re taken on a journey back through Crozier’s art style as well as his life.

A deeply personal artist, his works focus on questions of humanity in response to the historic events he was living through. WWII, nuclear warfare, and the Troubles, intermingled with questions of religion and society are just some of the themes featured in this exhibition, where Crozier questions the darkness of the human spirit. Despite traveling through a lifetime of artistic works, the exhibition is neatly contained, not overwhelming the viewer by including a handful of paintings in each section.

Perhaps the biggest draw of the exhibition is the unique chance to walk through Crozier’s work while watching both his style and understanding of the world change. The colorful and vibrant Crozier style toward the end of his life slowly darkens, both literally and figuratively, as we go back in time. Expressive brushwork becomes more frantic, evoking a young man deeply pessimistic in his view of Britain’s post-war landscape and humanity itself as we reach the final room. Trends become apparent, the development of his lone existential figure and its eventual decline in his work, as well as his continuing connection to the landscape in each decade.

A small exhibition and completely free to view, William Crozier: The Edge of a Landscape is a unique and compelling exhibition for artists, historians, and humanists alike.

The Edge of a Landscape exhibition runs until 8 April 2018 at the Irish Museum of Modern Art.