Ben Nicholson's White Reliefs: British Modernism's finest hour

It has been claimed that Ben Nicholson's "eureka" moment came when he was carving into a piece of lino: the realisation that the carved lino was the art, (not a mere printing plate) coupled with the fact that he had Barbara Hepworth's chisels readily at hand, meant that Nicholson could start to create the greatest Modernist art to come out of Great Britain.
Whatever the origins, Nicholson's early works were certainly not original, abstract painted reliefs were being produced in the early 1920s by such artists as Erich Buchholz, and Nicholson's greatest influence at this time, Jean (Hans) Arp. The idea of entirely white painted reliefs could be seen as an inevitable result of the influences that were flooding in from modernist Europe: 'whiteness' was everywhere, from Brancusi's white studio to the groundbreaking architecture of Corbusier. White was the colour of Modernism, and Ben Nicholson was not the only member of the family to succumb: 'Kit' Nicholson, Ben's younger brother, was to design the modernist Gliding Club in Dunstable in 1934.
The white reliefs are physical, sculptural objects, and need to be seen as such. To attempt to analyze them as paintings is unrewarding and ultimately fruitless. They explore planes and depth, and come to life with the play of light across their surface. In this regard they are decorative pieces to be lived with, to be contemplated in all light conditions and seasons. They do not sit easily in the artificial environment of the gallery (in much the same way that Barbara Hepworth's work benefits so much from her garden).
Nicholson's early reliefs continue until 1939, almost stopping when he and Barbara Hepworth move to St. Ives. Here he introduces colour back into his work, which, although predominantly two dimensional still explores issues of depth, planes, and intersecting geometrical shapes. It is only when he finally tires of the in-fighting and strained relations of St. Ives and moves to Switzerland that the reliefs return, some painted white but most subtly coloured. Indeed, even some of his etchings and drawings are now 'relief' (such as 1967 (Pisa as intended)). By now Nicholson was mostly carving hardboard, which is extremely tough, and it is a measure of his mental strength and dedication to his vision (not to mention physical robustness), that he laboriously carved his reliefs using razor blades in order to achieve the exact depth and precision, getting through hundreds at the completion of a piece. As he stated in a letter to Herbert Read (quoted in Khoroche):
"The patience to use a razor blade is NOTHING, the passion to achieve an end by whatever means that is the point"
In 1982, the white relief reaches its natural conclusion at Sutton Place in Guildford, where a marble relief wall is constructed, now known as the Nicholson Wall.

Sources:
Sarah Jane Checkland (2000) Ben Nicholson: the viciosu circles of his life and art. John Murray, London.
Peter Khoroche (2002) Ben Nicholson: drawings and painted reliefs. Lund Humphries, London.
Norbert Lynton (1993) Ben Nicholson. Phaidon, London.

Illustration:
1934 (Relief). Oil on carved board, 71.8 x 96.5 cm., Tate Gallery