Photo-Realism: Paintings, sculpture and prints from the Ludwig collection and others

For the first time in Britain, the Serpentine Gallery presented an exhibition representing the new realist trend in the United States.

The show introduced the British public to Photo-Realism and served to draw attention to Dr. Peter and Irene Ludwig’s rapidly expanding art collection. The show also included new works from Robert Cottingham and Howard Kanovitz. The Serpentine Gallery’s exhibition was staged shortly after Documenta V the previous year, in which Photo-Realism had had a significant presence.

This was the first exhibition the Serpentine Gallery showed that was not devoted exclusively to the work of young British artists. The exhibition also marked a change in the gallery’s programme, from being open only during the summer months to becoming a year-round exhibition space. This was, therefore, a moment of expansion for the Serpentine Gallery, both in terms of the number and remit of its exhibitions.