A brilliantly executed abstract composition drawn in biro onto paper, by British artist Enos Lovatt (1937-2018).
This intricate composition has a dynamic, surreal quality, filled with abstract forms and stylised figures. The cross-hatching and dense linework typical of biro drawings are skilfully used to create depth, contrast, and texture. The artist plays with positive and negative space, using white areas effectively to highlight the main forms amidst the dark, densely filled background.
The drawing has strong influences from Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism, with its dream-like imagery and focus on fluidity, symbolism, and subconscious forms. There’s a sense of narrative, though it remains open-ended and abstract, encouraging personal interpretation.
Overall, the piece is bold, intricate, and highly textured, showcasing the meticulous potential of the humble biro pen in the hands of a skilled artist.
Both the drawing and frame are in excellent vintage condition. The painting is presented within in a card mount and a black stained wooden frame, and is protected behind perspex. The frame has some very minor scuffing as seen in the photos.
Enos Lovatt (1937–2018) studied at Burslem School of Art and the Royal College of Art (1959–1962) before becoming Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at Staffordshire Polytechnic until 1992. A prolific artist, he worked in oils, gouache, acrylics, ceramics, and biro, leaving behind thousands of works. He exhibited sporadically, including solo shows in City Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent, one man shows at the Paton and Woodstock Galleries in London and at Stafford Museum and Art Gallery.
In the early 1990s, Enos lost most of the three middle fingers on his dominant right hand in a lawnmower accident. The biros allowed him to navigate his vivid and unique imagination and bring the thoughts and images in his head to life in their purest form of magic realism. This drawing was created in the early 2000s.