William Gear was never interested in playing by the rules. A rare British member of the radical European CoBrA group, Gear brought a raw, gestural force to post-war abstraction that shook up the polite art world of mid-century Britain. Rejected by the British public and establishment critics alike, he continued to pursue the CoBrA values of spontaneity, emotional intensity, and artistic freedom—long after the movement itself had dissolved.
His use of colour was fearless, his compositions fractured and fierce—at once tightly controlled and totally untamed.
Curated by Indelible’s Kitty Smith, the show celebrates Gear’s singular vision across key periods of his career: from early continental experiments and his notorious 1951 Festival of Britain submission, to the muscular, monumental works of the 1980s.
“There’s such a beauty in the way his work was rejected,” says Smith. “Its shapes, its colour—the purpose of the movement was to harness that childish energy to re-kindle our natural instincts, and that’s exactly what Gear’s work is all about.”
Colour as Rebellion reasserts William Gear’s role as a visionary force in 20th-century painting—and proves just how fresh his work still feels today.
Private View: Friday 25 April, 6–8pm
Exhibition runs: 25 April – 16 May 2025
Location: Indelible Fine Art, Brighton
RSVP@indeliblefineart.co.uk