Harold Mockford painted in and around Eastbourne where he lived for many years and was closely associated with the Towner gallery with the curator William Gear purchasing Eastbourne
(the gallery’s first Mockford painting) in 1958. Gear’s support of the young artist was not without controversy; this abstract view of Eastbourne caused a public furore and was considered a waste of public money and misrepresentation of the town. However the Eastbourne Gazette reported that Mockford had a ‘rare burning dedication’ and Mockford was offered a solo exhibition at Towner in 1959.
Eastbourne is now a significant work in the Towner Collection, beloved by the local community – its abstract and surreal perspective conjuring a sense of place that is distinct and unrivalled
.