Eileen Agar: Angel of Anarchy at Leeds Art Gallery

Maja Lorkowska, Exhibitions Editor

Visit now

Eileen Agar: Angel of Anarchy

29 January-7 May 2022
Date
Time
Session Features
29 Jan 2022
10:00 am-5:00 pm
30 Jan 2022
10:00 am-5:00 pm
01 Feb 2022
10:00 am-5:00 pm
02 Feb 2022
10:00 am-5:00 pm
03 Feb 2022
10:00 am-5:00 pm

See website for more sessions

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Eileen Agar, Angel of Mercy
Images courtesy of Leeds Museums & Galleries, Eileen Agar 'Angel of Anarchy' exhibition 2022, photographs by Julian Lister
Book now

If you haven’t encountered Eileen Agar’s work before, prepare to be amazed – a definitive retrospective of the extraordinary Argentinian-British artist’s work has come to Leeds Art Gallery this year.

The exhibition was developed in partnership with the Whitechapel Art Gallery (London) and the Mjellby Konstmuseum, Halmstad (Sweden). It features over 150 pieces from public and private collections as well as newly discovered archival material.

A true pioneer of the avant-garde, Agar experimented with Cubism, Surrealism and abstraction, while her social circle included Paul Nash, Dora Maar, Pablo Picasso and Ezra Pound. With inspirations as broad as classical art, ancient mythologies, the natural world and sexual pleasure, Agar’s incessant desire to experiment and escape categorisation led to an extraordinary body of work.

Images courtesy of Leeds Museums & Galleries, Eileen Agar ‘Angel of Anarchy’ exhibition 2022, photographs by Julian Lister

 

She created paintings, collages, photographs, sculptures and even ceremonial hats(!). Despite flirting with multiple art movements (“One day I was an artist exploring highly personal combinations of form and content, the next I was calmly informed I was a surrealist!”), her individuality was what Agar is remembered for – a fiery distinctiveness that still gives her work a contemporary freshness today.

Images courtesy of Leeds Museums & Galleries, Eileen Agar ‘Angel of Anarchy’ exhibition 2022, photographs by Julian Lister

 

The titular Angel of Anarchy refers not only to Agar’s rebellious nature but also to a specific piece created between 1936-1940: a 3-dimensional plaster head created from found materials including feathers, silks and beads. You’ll be able to find its sister piece, Angel of Mercy on display in the show – a bust with Cubist-like features with the movement’s signature angularity softened by flowing lines and muted shades. Subverting the male Surrealists’ concept of ‘the female muse’, Agar modelled the busts on her husband, Joseph Bard. Alongside the sculpture you will find colourful walls expertly filled with paintings of all sizes, bursting with energy and experimental in form, as well as vitrines of smaller works on paper.

Images courtesy of Leeds Museums & Galleries, Eileen Agar ‘Angel of Anarchy’ exhibition 2022, photographs by Julian Lister

 

The artist’s 70-year artistic career is boldly displayed in this retrospective – if you’re taking yourself on an art date this month, this show is simply a must-see.

Where to go near Eileen Agar: Angel of Anarchy at Leeds Art Gallery

iStock
Leeds
Shop
Waterstones Leeds

Standing proudly on the busy shopping hub of Albion Street, Waterstones Leeds is a bookshop that also hosts a variety of events

Leeds
Cinema
Vue Leeds The Light

Vue Leeds at The Light is a massive 14 screen multiplex located in the city centre. All the latest 2D and 3D movies.

Leeds
Restaurant
Gaucho Leeds

High-end Argentine restaurant with a focus on steaks, glamour and wine.

City Varieties Music Hall
Leeds
Theatre
City Varieties Music Hall

Established in 1865, City Varieties Music Hall is Leeds’ hidden gem, and holds a record as the nation’s longest-running music hall.

The White Swan Leeds
Leeds
Restaurant
The White Swan

The White Swan is a charming side-street pub next to the world famous City Varieties Theatre. It serves simple hearty food and a range of continental and American beers.

The Decanter Leeds
Leeds
Bar or Pub
The Decanter

One of Leeds’ most stylish bars, The Decanter is one for the winos – or, as we prefer to call ourselves, ‘wine-lovers’.

Comprising 147 sophisticated rooms and suites, this Leeds accommodation offers the desirable combination of a city centre location and historical character. All rooms and suites include premium amenities such as free high-speed, wireless Internet, a mini bar, a flat-screen television, air conditioning, and tea and coffee-making facilities. Accessible, interconnecting and family rooms are available as well.Welcome to a brand new concept right on your doorstep. Fire Lake Grill House and Cocktail Bar boasts a Yorkshire style infused menu with a twist. The Grill House and Cocktail Bar serves guests in the heart of Leeds city centre at the Radisson Blu Hotel Leeds. Come absorb the comforting surroundings, coupled with the enchanting smells and woodiness of flavours coming from the kitchen. Enjoy your meal with expertly blended drinks from the cocktail waiters that will take you through the night. Experience an unparalleled dining experience at Fire Lake Grill House and Cocktail Bar. The
Leeds
Hotel
Radisson Blu Hotel Leeds

Comprising 147 sophisticated rooms and suites, this Leeds accommodation offers the desirable combination of a city centre location and historical character.

drinks at Kapow Coffee Leeds
Leeds
Café or Coffee Shop
Kapow Coffee

Kapow Coffee is an independent coffee shop located in Thornton’s Arcade in the heart of Leeds City Centre, serving cakes, sandwiches and delicious coffee.

OK Comics Leeds
Leeds
Shop
OK Comics

OK Comics is Leeds’ leading comic book shop, with everything from classic items to obscurities. Their modest shop is designed with ease of use in mind.

Village Bookstore Leeds
Leeds
Shop
Village Books

Few things in life are more satisfying than spending a lazy afternoon browsing the shelves of a non-corporate book shop. Welcome to the Village Books.

Shopping Centre
St John’s Centre, Leeds

With a great mix of retailers over two levels including fashion, gifts and food, plus its own secure car park, St Johns Centre makes shopping in Leeds easy

Henry Moore Institute
Leeds
Gallery
The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds

The Henry Moore Institute boasts one of Britain’s strongest public collections of sculpture, and ‘makes a significant impact on the future of art history’.

What's on: Exhibitions

Cathedral of Sound - Lazerian
Until
Activity
Music for the Senses

Music for the Senses, a city-wide art trail by global art producer Wild in Art, takes over the streets of Manchester this summer.

Free entry

Culture Guides

Exhibitions in the North

Galleries around the North are gearing up for a new season of exhibitions - from iconic art prizes to smaller, artist-led gems.

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Wisp Press Image
Music in the North

From corrupted shoegaze to experimental electronica, post-hardcore to Indian classical, these are the shows that should be on your radar.