Mary Martin (1907-1969), Permutation on White and Black, 1965. Courtesy of Jerwood Collection. © Estate of Mary Martin
Jerwood Foundation is pleased to announce the acquisition of Permutation on White and Black, 1965 by Mary Martin (1907–1969), a significant late relief that exemplifies her rigorous exploration of geometry, structure, and spatial perception.
Constructed from steel, painted wood, and Perspex, the diamond-shaped work combines matte and reflective surfaces with transparent elements to create a dynamic interplay of light, depth, and rhythm. Martin’s reliefs, first developed in the early 1950s, are among her most celebrated contributions to post-war abstraction, and this work demonstrates her precise, methodical approach to form through systematic permutation and repetition.
Martin studied at the Royal College of Art from 1929 to 1932, where she met her husband and frequent collaborator, Kenneth Martin. After beginning as a painter, she turned towards pure abstraction in the late 1940s, developing constructed reliefs that emphasised clarity, order, and architectural sensitivity.
Her practice was closely aligned with ideas about the relationship between art and architecture. She selected materials for their intrinsic properties, transparency, reflectivity, and surface contrast, aiming to create works that complemented rather than dominated their surroundings.
Permutation on White and Black strengthens Jerwood Collection’s holdings of British abstraction, offering an important example of Martin’s work and her contribution to 20th century art.
April 29, 2026
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