Camberwell Flats I (by Day) 1983

This daytime view of Habington tower block on the Elmington Estate in Camberwell is balanced by a night-time painting by Hepher of the same block, also in the Museum's collection. During the 1980s, David Hepher produced a series of paintings which focused on the theme of tower blocks. In 'Camberwell Flats I (by Day)' motifs, such as the white balconies with yellow doors leading onto them, are repeated and the viewer can imagine them extending beyond the picture's boundaries. While some figures can be seen on the balconies, the majority of them are empty. The cube-like shapes of the building also recur frequently with little to differentiate them - as a result, the painting highlights the impersonal and anonymous nature of these spaces. Surrey-born Hepher trained at Camberwell School of Art and the Slade. He has said of himself that he is a landscape artist based in a city. His output is mainly architectural and usually devoid of figures.