A snapshot of 1977
In this year at Warwick:
- Lord Scarman succeeded Lord Radcliffe as Chancellor.
- The Social Sciences building was opened (pictured below whilst under construction)
Bert Irvin wrote: 'My paintings are not in any sense depictions of anything: I like to think that rather than being pictures of the world, they are pictures about it'
Albion was the first in a whole series of paintings. Each picture is named after a street and all the paintings are large rectangular formats. They are large surfaces to cover and are consequently physically demanding to paint. This painting is similar to a landscape in that the picture plane is divided into upper and lower parts and has a sense of horizon.
And in the world:
- Elvis Presley was found dead.
- The first installment of Star Wars hit theatres.
Aerial shot of campus, taken in 1977

Albert Irvin | Albion | 1977 | acrylic on canvas | 2440 x 4270 mm