The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on Trent, is thrilled to present Maurice Wade – A Painter from No.57, an extraordinary survey of work by North Staffordshire artist Maurice Wade, bringing together for the first time over 90 paintings, spanning four decades. Inspired by the stark beauty and atmospheric melancholy of the urban, industrial and natural landscapes of his native region, Wade was stirred by the singular mood and shapes of the local landscape; his striking paintings are characterised by his use of monochromatic tones, applied boldly with palette knives to create his precise geometrical structures and forms.
Wade’s paintings of canals, churchyards, disused factories and of course the iconic bottle kilns may in some ways be both geographically and temporally specific, however the emotive impact on all viewers is collective. With their limited palette, geometric silhouettes, and mesmerising light, they are dreamlike in their tranquil stillness. Despite the towering presence of the manmade in these industrial landscapes, they are empty of humans, turning away from any hint of sentimentality. The industrial landscapes hold their own mood and personality. They are scenes of serenity, allowing the observer to find the beauty and hope in the immediate and the everyday.
Born in Burslem in 1917, artist Maurice Wade served in the army during the Second World War, however it was upon and ever since his return to the Potteries in 1951 that he had an ever-growing compulsion to paint. Wade was a regular exhibitor at the prestigious annual exhibitions in London and Paris, attracting critical acclaim. At the height of his painting career, Wade would exhibit at the Société des Artistes Français (where he was a gold medallist and exhibitor hors concours), the Royal Academy, the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the Industrial Painters Group, among others.
Following Wade’s death in 1991, his work was seemingly forgotten. However, over the past few years, there has been a renewed interest in the artist and a growing recognition of his important contribution to contemporary British art in the 20th Century. It is estimated he painted between 300 and 350 landscapes in his lifetime, and this special exhibition brings together for the first time over 90 paintings spanning four decades, from private collections, highlighting Wade’s enduring fascination with the region. The exhibition is also accompanied by a fully illustrated book edited by Petr Hajek, with contributions by David Powell.
Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “It is great that we are being able to highlight the work of this important artist, who was born right here in Stoke-on-Trent, in their home city. We should all be really proud that our city’s unique landscape features in these paintings and was the inspiration behind most of Maurice Wade’s work, especially as we are gearing up to celebrate our Centenary next year.”
