It would be criminal to miss this show. Sensitively and logically hung in a space unadulterated by curatorial clutter, the paintings radiate an extraordinary intensity that reverberates through the room, making a chill run down one’s spine. Each work is an orgasmic expression of form and volume made of peaking and troughing planes and bold lines in which Auerbach’s movement and energy will forever be encapsulated and immediately physically palpable to the viewer. Thick, dense amalgamated layers of paint are sculpted creating ridged surfaces that reflect brilliant light, while the recessed areas amplify a sense of infinite depth. The glittering chiaroscuro effect of the works creates movement and, paradoxically, endows the darkest paintings (which are painted all in black) with the brightest white highlights. Despite the painterly surface of the works, they often appear more rooted in a foundation of intrinsic geometric balance, akin to architectural formalism. The result is an awesome feeling of sadness and simultaneous exaltation in the elegance, human-ness and urgency that permeates the paintings. This overwhelming and sublime sensation one encounters through contemplation of the works is such that the exhibition space renders itself difficult to breathe in.

These paintings would be ridiculously undermined by my setting them into their historical context of post-war London or the psychological implications of Auerbach’s parents death in a concentration camp. To delve into these aspects would be to move away from the central importance of his oeuvre, that is to say, the physicality of each painting. These works require no context to justify them or further enrich our ‘understanding’ or appreciation of them: they, like all great works of art, are entities that complete themselves and could never translate meaningfully into words. These paintings are powerfully monumental and to experience such a beautiful and moving show is a true privilege.

Until Jan 17

ALMA ZEVI