John MITCHELL (1943-2014) Steel 'House-Like' Shapes

John Mitchell (1943-2014)

'House-Like' Shapes

Each of steel construction, each 13cm x 13cm x 13cm.

A pair of wooden sculptures by British abstract artist John Mitchell, acquired from the dispersal of his personal collection and studio at Lay’s Auctioneers in Penzance in August 2026.

John Mitchell was an artist whose work explored the relationship between mathematics, proportion and visual perception. Born in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, he studied at Kingston College of Art before embarking on a career that encompassed painting, sculpture and teaching.

Central to his practice was the Fibonacci sequence, a mathematical progression in which each number is the sum of the previous two. Mitchell began incorporating this system into his work during the 1960s, using numerical relationships to determine proportions and investigate the interaction between geometric forms.

He was particularly interested in the possibilities that could emerge from repeatedly altering a single form, exploring variations through changes in proportion, orientation and arrangement.

One of his influences was an observation by the American artist Jasper Johns about taking an object and repeatedly doing something different to it. Mitchell also drew inspiration from Samuel Beckett’s novel Molloy, particularly a passage exploring the different ways of wearing a shirt. Both ideas contributed to his interest in creating numerous variations from a limited set of possibilities.

This approach became an important element of his Frustums and Fillers series, which encompassed paintings and sculptures in wood and bronze.

A frustum is the geometric form produced when the pointed end of a cone or pyramid is removed. Mitchell returned to these forms repeatedly, investigating their mathematical relationships and the different ways they could occupy and interact with space.

His first solo exhibition took place at Camden Arts Centre in London in 1972, followed by exhibitions at Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, and Galerie Swart in Amsterdam, where he subsequently held five further solo exhibitions.

In 1978, he was appointed the final recipient of the Gregory Fellowship in Painting at the University of Leeds. The fellowship allowed him two years to concentrate on his artistic practice and was followed by exhibitions at Leeds University Galleries and the Serpentine Gallery in London.

Alongside his own work, Mitchell pursued a substantial teaching career, holding positions at Coventry College of Art, Stourbridge College of Art, Birmingham Polytechnic and Cardiff College of Art.

He eventually established his studio in Newlyn, Cornwall, overlooking the harbour, where he continued developing his investigations into geometry, colour and spatial relationships.

In August 2026, Lay’s Auctioneers held a two-day sale of Mitchell’s personal collection and studio, bringing together work spanning his artistic career.

These sculptures were acquired from that sale and belong to his wider exploration of conical forms.

Artist: John Mitchell (d. 2014)
Title: Conical Frustums
Medium: Steel
Country: England
Date: Undated
Provenance: John Mitchell Personal Collection & Studio Sale, Lay’s Auctioneers, Penzance, 13 August 2026,