Derek Carruthers (1935–2021)Watercolour | Artists’ Mannequins, signed and dated March / April 2004

This original watercolour, titled Untitled (Artists’ Mannequins) and signed and dated March / April 2004, is by the British artist Derek Carruthers (1935–2021). The composition is divided into two related registers: an upper frieze of mannequin figures shown in sequential walking poses, and a lower grouping in which the same articulated forms engage in collective, uplifted movement.

The repetition of identical, anonymised figures creates a rhythmic progression across the surface, evoking both instruction and choreography. In the upper register, the mannequins advance methodically from left to right, recalling diagrammatic studies of movement. Below, the figures gather in looser formations, their raised arms and intersecting limbs suggesting communal action or shared purpose.

Executed in watercolour with precise linear definition and warm tonal washes, the work demonstrates Carruthers’ continued interest in structure, repetition and the depiction of human behaviour through abstracted surrogates. The dark ground enhances contrast while unifying the composition, allowing the pale mannequin forms to emerge with clarity and cohesion.

By the early 2000s, Derek Carruthers had refined the articulated artists’ mannequin into a central motif of his practice. Originally employed as a teaching tool during his long tenure as Head of Art at Durham University, the mannequin evolved into a symbolic device within his own work, standing in for humanity stripped of individuality.

Through these neutral figures, Carruthers explored themes of movement, cooperation, conformity and social systems. His approach reflects broader concerns within Modern British art regarding order and structure, and aligns with the intellectual milieu he shared with contemporaries such as Victor Pasmore. Works from this late period show a confident synthesis of pedagogical clarity and conceptual intent.

Purchased from the artist’s estate.

Dealer’s Note

This is a strong example of Carruthers’ late work, combining instructional clarity with symbolic resonance. The juxtaposition of ordered progression and collective gesture underscores his lifelong engagement with systems and shared human behaviour. Signed and precisely dated, the work is particularly suitable for collectors and institutions focused on post-war and Modern British figurative abstraction.

Condition Report

Great condition - Purchased from the artist’s estate.

Measurement

Height:        82 cm   /     32.28 inches (with mount)

Width:         61 cm   /      24.01 inches (with mount)

Height:        71 cm   /      27.95 inches (without mount)

Width:         50 cm   /     19.86 inches (without mount)