In early 1947, Nicholson wrote to Zika Ascher expressing interest in designing an Ascher Square. At the time he was married to the sculptor Barbara Hepworth who had already created her own design for the project. Both were close friends with Henry Moore and central members of the British avant-garde. The collaboration almost did not take place due to Nicholson’s request for a larger fee than his wife received, however he eventually relented despite claiming that the fee was “pre-war”.
1947
90cm x 90cm
Silk Twill
Limited edition of 225
Moonlight is representative of Nicholson’s work from the mid 1930s to the mid 1940s. His ideas on constructive art are conveyed through the precision of the design, which features mathematically perfect circles and rigid lines. The hardness and rigidity of the composition is contrasted by the beautiful soft colors in the piece.
I would like to take a shot at designing one of these "squares", I think the idea is an amusing one - I feel the fee is a bit pre-war.