Denis Mitchell, an English abstract sculptor, was one of the artists who became an active member in this artistic community following WWII. From 1949-59, he acted as Barbara Hepworth’s assistant and personally worked on many of her sculptures.
It was during this decade that Mitchell developed an interest in the purity of form and the manipulation of space. His sculptures, such as the gravity-defying Carn Galver II, 1968 and the sleek Roseveor, 1985, show a strong understanding of balance, line, movement, and light.
Mitchell’s works, although abstract in form, remain rooted in the landscape of St Ives. Working primarily in bronze and wood, he often hand carved his works and hand finished his bronzes. Mitchell placed great emphasis on texture and material in the design and execution of his sculptures. It is a lesser-known fact that Mitchell was not exclusively a sculptor, but also an aspiring businessperson.
In an attempt to gain publicity for the growing St Ives art scene in the 1950s, Mitchell and his brother formed the company Porthia Prints. They encouraged local artists to submit original designs, which would then be screen-printed onto pieces of linen and sold as tablemats. Thirteen designs were chosen and, by 1955, they were being produced and sold exclusively through Heal’s in London. Amongst the artists featured were Peter Lanyon, Terry Frost, Roger Hilton, Denis Mitchell, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Patrick Heron, and Barbara Hepworth.
Despite securing several large orders and finding initial success, the company quickly ran into their fair share of complications. Their production method was calibrated for the manufacture of thirteen or fourteen prints of each design, which were intended to be sold in sets or singly. However, most clients requested sets of six different mats or varieties of individual prints, and Porthia struggled to keep up with demand. Furthermore, due to complications with the inks and printing method, the mats would often run and fade when washed, which makes the surviving mats even more rare and precious. These production issues lead Heal’s to withdraw their support in 1960.
Works by Mitchell span various mediums but primarily include wood and metal. From 1967, he worked full-time as an artist where he shared a studio with colleague and friend John Wells. His work remains highly coveted internationally and can be found in collections including Tate Gallery, The British Council, and Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
