Edward Burra (British 1905-1976)
Preoccupied with depicting the ugly side of city life Burra's art echoes the Existentialist belief that our existence can only fully come into its own when we experience discord, guilt, death and suffering. Throughout his career as a expressionist and later as surrealist and stage designer, Burra had the remarkable ability to fuse seriousness and wit, and ugliness and beauty. The anarchy of society as well as the tragedy of the human condition depicted in his work with such immediacy continue to fascinate.