Tempera on canvas
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Art Fund
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/charles-sims-1944" aria-label="More by Charles Sims" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Charles Sims</a>
I Am Abyss and I Am Light
Presented by Henry M. Andrews through the Art Fund 1928
abstraction
actions: postures and motions
adults
aura
colour
crouching
emotions and human qualities
emotions, concepts and ideas
God
Heaven
Heaven
Hell
Hell
isolation
Judaeo-Christian imagery
landscape
male
man
mysticism
mythical, religious, fictional
natural phenomena
non-representational
nudes
people
places
religion and belief
rocky
shadow
vision
vulnerability
<p>This is one of the artist's mystical paintings which he made near the end of his life. The group of six semi-abstract paintings with figures was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1928, shortly after Sims's death by suicide, and was called by his son his 'spiritual' series. The first of them was begun in 1926, in a style which was a deliberate break with his preceding work, which had consisted predominantly of society portraits. The meaning of this work is nowhere precisely given, although its title, apparently invented by the artist and not a quotation, suggests the absolute power of God over all creation and over the destiny of the universe. It might be paraphrased as 'I am Alpha and Omega' from Revelations 1:8.The artist's unpublished papers (deposited at the Royal Academy in 1977) which give an account of his career and his thoughts about art and life, contain the passage: The use of mysticism is for comfort. when the world grows dim in old age. our senses are dulled. it is the final truth. ... Perhaps it is only in a certain ripeness that one can enter this kingdom of abstractions this epitome of Perfection as far as we know it. ... More and more divorced from particulars. Persons become Types. material becomes pattern. Incidents rhythm. Colour independent of the substance of decoration.Also in the Royal Academy archives is a defence of Sims's state of mind in the last four months of his life, written by a Mrs Younger to the President of the Academy on 20 April 1928. She gives details of Sims's ongoing work and normal behaviour, but explains that he was suffering from insomnia, for which he was taking a drug: 'I write this because people are apparently trying to keep his work out of the Academy on the grounds that he was insane, and I thought you might let it be known that he was never more normal.' Soon after Sims's death, his friend the artist Harold Speed wrote that these last paintings reflected his completely changed mood after he moved to London from Sussex in 1920: To those who knew Sims they were the most poignant expression of the anguish he was suffering ... Technically these pictures are very interesting, as an attempt at abstract form and colour expression, used legitimately to express an abstract state of mind ... All the clashing lines and jagged edges and violent colours that startle one in these pictures are not a mere meaningless whim, but a vivid expression of a tortured state of mind ... There upon canvas was his poor tortured spirit laid bare.  (Speed, pp.63-4)The Tate owns one of the studies for this work (Tate Gallery T07299).<strong>Further reading:</strong>Charles Sims, ed. Alan Sims, <em>Picture Making: Technique &amp; Inspiration</em>, London 1934, pp.127-30Harold Speed, 'Charles Sims, R.A.', <em>The Old Water-Colour Society's Club 1928-1929</em>, vol.6, London 1929, pp.62-4Terry RiggsOctober 1997</p>
painting tempera canvas
15 October 2011 – 28 January 2012
2012-01-28
15 October 2011 – 28 January 2012
2012-01-28
2011-10-15
National Railway Museum (York, UK)
2011-10-15
The London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company's Academy Poster Campaign
Loan-out
22 May 2017 – 28 July 2019
2019-07-28
22 May 2017 – 28 July 2019
2019-07-28
2017-05-22
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2017-05-22
Blake Legacy
Collection based display
I Am the Abyss and I Am Light
frame: 975 × 1180 × 78 mm
support: 711 × 914 mm
Presented by Henry M. Andrews through the <a href="/search?gid=999999968" data-gtm-name="tombstone_link_bequest" data-gtm-destination="list-page--search-results">Art Fund</a> 1928
<p>This is one of the artist's mystical <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/painting" title="Glossary definition for 'Painting'"><span>paintings</span></a> which he made near the end of his life.
The group of six semi-<a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/a/abstract-art" title="Glossary definition for 'Abstract art'"><span>abstract</span></a> paintings with figures was exhibited at the Royal <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/a/academy" title="Glossary definition for 'Academy'"><span>Academy</span></a> in 1928, shortly after Sims's death by suicide, and was called by his son his 'spiritual' series. The first of them was begun in 1926, in a style which was a
deliberate break with his preceding work, which had consisted predominantly of society <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/portrait" title="Glossary definition for 'Portrait'"><span>portraits</span></a>. The meaning of this work is nowhere precisely given, although its title, apparently invented by the artist and not a quotation, suggests the absolute power
of God over all creation and over the destiny of the universe. It might be paraphrased as 'I am Alpha and Omega' from Revelations 1:8.</p><p>The artist's unpublished papers (deposited at the Royal Academy in 1977) which give an account of his career and
his thoughts about art and life, contain the passage: </p><blockquote>	The use of mysticism is for comfort.  when the world grows dim in old age.  	our senses are dulled.  it is the final truth.  ... Perhaps it is only in a certain 	ripeness that one can
enter this kingdom of abstractions this epitome of 	Perfection as far as we know it. ... More and more divorced from particulars.  	Persons become Types.  material becomes pattern.  Incidents rhythm.  Colour 	independent of the substance of
decoration.</blockquote>Also in the Royal Academy archives is a defence of Sims's state of mind in the last four months of his life, written by a Mrs Younger to the President of the Academy on 20 April 1928. She gives details of Sims's ongoing work
and normal behaviour, but explains that he was suffering from insomnia, for which he was taking a drug: 'I write this because people are apparently trying to keep his work out of the Academy on the grounds that he was insane, and I thought you might
let it be known that he was never more normal.' Soon after Sims's death, his friend the artist Harold Speed wrote that these last paintings reflected his completely changed mood after he moved to London from Sussex in 1920:<blockquote>	To those who
knew Sims they were the most poignant expression of the 	anguish he was suffering ... Technically these pictures are very interesting, as 	an attempt at abstract <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/f/form" title="Glossary definition for 'Form'"><span>form</span></a> and colour expression, used legitimately to express 	an abstract state of mind ... All
the clashing lines and jagged edges and violent 	colours that startle one in these pictures are not a mere meaningless whim, but 	a vivid expression of a tortured state of mind ... There upon <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/canvas" title="Glossary definition for 'Canvas'"><span>canvas</span></a> was his 	poor tortured spirit laid bare.
<br/>									(Speed, pp.63-4)</blockquote>The Tate owns one of the studies for this work (Tate Gallery <a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="/art/artworks/T07299" onclick="popTateObjects(event, -1, 'T07299');" title="View details of this artwork"><span>T07299</span></a>).<p><strong>Further reading:</strong><br/>Charles Sims, ed. Alan Sims, <em>Picture Making: Technique &amp;
Inspiration</em>, London 1934, pp.127-30<br/>Harold Speed, 'Charles Sims, R.A.', <em>The Old Water-Colour Society's Club 1928-1929</em>, vol.6, London 1929, pp.62-4</p><p>Terry Riggs<br/>October 1997<!-- end text --></p>
Summary
2005-09-15T00:00:00
summary
SHORT_TEXT
<p><b>N04396</b> I AM THE ABYSS AND I AM LIGHT 1928</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Inscr. ‘Sims’ b.l.
<br/>Tempera on canvas, 28×36 (71×91·5).
<br/>Presented by Henry M. Andrews through the National Art-Collections Fund 1928.
<br/><i>Coll:</i> Purchased by Henry M. Andrews from the Royal Academy exhibition 1928.
<br/><i>Exh:</i> R.A., 1928 (684); R.A., <i>Late Members</i>, winter 1933 (467).</p>
<p>One of the artist's semi-mystical ‘Spirituals’ described by Alan Sims in his <i>Critical Survey</i> of his father's work, pp.127–30. The meaning of this work is nowhere precisely given, although its title, apparently invented by the artist and not a quotation, suggests the absolute power of God over all creation and over the destiny of the universe. The title might be paraphrased as ‘I am Alpha and Omega’.</p>
<p><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr and Martin Butlin, <i>The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture</i>, London 1964, II
<br/>
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-07-20T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
abstraction actions: postures and motions adults aura colour crouching emotions and human qualities emotions, concepts and ideas God Heaven Heaven Hell Hell isolation Judaeo-Christian imagery landscape male man mysticism mythical, religious, fictional natural phenomena non-representational nudes people places religion and belief rocky shadow vision vulnerability