Imagine: David Whitaker

In 1965, whilst studying together at the Royal Academy Schools, two artists - David Whitaker (1938 - 2007) and David Inshaw - collaborated on a single painting.

This proved a pivotal moment for each of them. Whitaker realigned his practice from figurative art to abstraction and op art. Inshaw made a change in the opposite direction, from abstract to figurative.

The exhibition will include watercolours and oil paintings from both artists spanning five decades, from the 1960s to the 2000s, when Whitaker died. It is the first time Whitaker and Inshaw's works have been shown together.

Fellow of the Royal Watercolour Society, Whitaker was an abstract painter fascinated by the optical effects of colour. With a career spanning five decades, his works demonstrate an extraordinary vision and bravura control of his media.

In 1970, Whitaker became one of the first British artists to hold a solo exhibition at the newly established Serpentine Gallery in London. Working closely with Bridget Riley, he received the Mark Rothko Memorial Award two years later on her recommendation. In 1996, Whitaker became the first abstract painter to win a prize at the Hunting Art Prizes, and achieved the same distinction at the Singer Friedlander National Watercolour Competition in 2000.

He had over thirty one-man shows across the globe and his work is held in numerous public and institutional collections including the Arts Council of Great Britain, York City Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Iceland.