Maxwell Bates: The In Crowd

Having spent years balancing careers as an architect and artist, Maxwell Bates (1906-1980) was forced by a stroke in 1961 to give up the former and support himself as the latter. Thrust into a world of gallerists, collectors, exhibition openings and artworld parties, he dedicated his expressionist painting to these subjects, as seen in this show. Borrowed from public and private collections, Bates’ figurative works of the 1960s and ’70s convey a wild energy that is both engaging and satirical.