Keith Tyson (b. 1969)
Studio Wall Drawing (Scribble Tester)
dated '19.12.1999-20.12.1999' (along the upper edge); signed and dated 'K. Tyson 99' (on the backing board)
watercolour, felt-tip pen, ink, graphite and paper collage on paper
59⅞ x 47⅝in. (152 x 121cm.)
Executed in 1999

PROVENANCE

Anthony Reynolds Gallery, London.
Anon. sale, Sotheby's London, 22 June 2007, lot 461.
Haunch of Venison, London.

EXHIBITED

London, Haunch of Venison, Keith Tyson. Studio Wall Drawings, 1997-2007 (illustrated in colour, p. 461).

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SPECIALIST NOTES

Winner of the Turner Prize in 2002, Keith Tyson grew up amidst the bountiful natural beauty of the Lake District. He carries the spirit of his Cumbrian youth into his paintings, where he continues to explore the wonders and complexity of nature, metaphysics and human existence. Tyson’s fascination with nature and the process of generation – of how things come to be – is manifested in his artworks and series. Tyson welds together elements that otherwise stand apart in the contemporary world - science and art, philosophy and nature – and opens the mind to the myriad of possibilities that could be found in their combinations and juxtapositions.

On the walls of his studio, the artist explores and conceptualizes for his works and projects on large sheets of paper. These are compiled into his Studio Wall Drawings and each is a colourful representation of his musings and ideas. These are ‘works in their own right rather than just a preparatory activity,’ Tyson says, ‘they became an open space into which I could paint, write and think freely’ (K. Tyson, ‘Studio Wall Drawings (1997 - Present Day) - 04 May 2015’, [accessed 28 July 2015]). The Studio Wall Drawings are almost extensions of Tyson’s inner world. They illustrate in real-time as the artist explores the ever-boundless mysteries with being a part of this world. The drawings are manifestations of Tyson’s persistent efforts to connect with every strata of life. As Tyson himself puts it, his drawings are “all about navigating” (K. Tyson, quoted in K. Tyson, B. Ruf and S. Grant, Keith Tyson: Studio Wall Drawings (1997-2007), exh. cat., Haunch of Venison, London, 2007). Tyson’s works ultimately offer him a channel through which he can connect with the world and discover his place in the complexity of it all.

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