Theo Mendez was an artist in oil, acrylic and collage who was born in and lived in London. He studied at Camberwell School of Art, 1950-4 and 1956-7, and at London University 1957-8. Teachers included Martin Bloch and Michael Rothenstein. Mendez taught at Camberwell 1958-84, becoming head of textiles in 1976, before retiring to paint full-time. In the mid-1970s Mendez was in charge of about 40 large murals produced for Southwark Borough Council by students. In his own work Mendez believed with Picasso that “nothing is produced without solitude”. He took part in group shows at Redfern Gallery, Victoria & Albert Museum, Bear Lane Gallery in Oxford and Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, and in the 1972 and 1979 John Moores Liverpool Exhibitions.
Retrospectives included Duncan Campbell Fine Art in 2002, four solo shows at Highgate Fine Art and an exhibition of his early oils at Whitfield Fine Art, London in 2010. Museum of London holds his work. Mendez frequently visited Paris, soaking up the atmosphere in cafes and getting inspiration for new paintings and collages – many of which incorporated items from local papers or special wine-labels. A trip to New York in 1980 added breadth to his vision. He spent hours in his London studio surrounded by music, from tango to French modernist classical music, which was an integral part of his creativity.
‘PAINTING, FEBRUARY 1963’‘Reclining Nude’‘Cream and Grey Squares’ ‘Composition 2’untitleduntitled
Please click on thumbnail for full image and more information about the artwork
