Indelible Artist

Paul Feiler

A leading figure within the St Ives story, Paul Feiler developed a highly individual form of abstraction in which landscape, architecture, colour and space are distilled into intensely balanced compositions.

1918–2013St IvesBritish abstractionPainting
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Paul Feiler artwork

Biography

Artist background

Paul Feiler was born in Frankfurt-am-Main in 1918 and came to England in the 1930s. He studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and, after the Second World War, became closely connected with Cornwall’s artistic community, eventually settling near Penzance.

Although associated with the St Ives School, Feiler developed a language distinct from many of his contemporaries. His earlier paintings often carry the physical weight and texture of landscape; later works became increasingly architectural and geometric, culminating in the meditative, shrine-like forms for which he is especially recognised.

Across both periods, Feiler’s central concerns remained remarkably consistent: light, spatial tension, enclosure, balance and the transformation of landscape experience into abstraction.

At a glance
Born1918, Frankfurt
Died2013
StudiedSlade School of Fine Art
Associated withSt Ives School
Known forAbstract painting & Adytum works

Available works

Current Indelible selection
Paul Feiler - Square Relief LXII

Square Relief LXII

2012 • Silver leaf, gouache & perspex • 16 × 16 in • £10,000
Paul Feiler - Square Relief

Square Relief

2011 • Mixed media • 20 × 20 in • £10,000
Paul Feiler - Square Relief XVII

Square Relief XVII

2009 • Silver leaf, gouache, stainless steel & perspex • 18 × 18 in • £10,000

Highlights

Career & collector context
  • A major presence in post-war British abstraction and an important artist within the wider St Ives narrative.
  • Settled in Cornwall in the 1950s, developing work shaped by the light and landscape of the far South West.
  • Later Adytum paintings use precise circles, squares and central openings to create a powerful sense of architectural stillness.
  • Represented in major UK public collections, including Tate.
  • His career spans richly textured early abstraction through to the disciplined geometry of his mature work.

References

Museum & institutional context
TateInstitutional artist overview and works by Paul Feiler in the Tate collection.Art UKPublic-collection record showing Feiler’s representation across UK museums and collections.Tate — January 1953An early Feiler painting in Tate’s collection, providing context for his development within post-war abstraction.Tate — Adytum S VMuseum context for Feiler’s mature Adytum series and its geometric, architectural visual language.

At Indelible

St Ives & Modern British

Paul Feiler sits at the heart of Indelible’s Modern British and St Ives offering. The current selection focuses on three late Square Relief works, each demonstrating the controlled geometry, layered construction and architectural stillness of Feiler’s mature practice.

Contact the gallery for condition, provenance, framing, additional photography and current availability.

Explore Paul Feiler at Indelible or contact the gallery for collecting advice and current availability.

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Abstract image of concentric squares in soft pastel shades of pink, beige, and light brown creating a tunnel-like visual effect.
Abstract geometric artwork with concentric squares and a large circle in the center, in shades of tan, brown, and red.
Abstract geometric artwork with concentric squares and circles in shades of green, blue, and black.
Abstract blue artwork with a square shape and gradient hues.
A painting of layered squares and a circle in dark shades with an aged yellow border.
A geometric pattern of concentric rectangles in various muted colors, creating a layered, optical illusion effect.
Close-up of a square ceiling with layered concentric designs and a centered circular detail.
Abstract geometric artwork featuring concentric squares and a central circle in shades of blue and brown.