PLAQUES

PAUL NASH

THE PINNACLES, 2 THE PARADE, SWANAGE

PAUL Nash (May 11 1889 – July 11 1946) was a British surrealist painter and war artist, as well as a book-illustrator, writer and designer of applied art.

Swanage was one of the London-born artist's favourite places - he said its combination of ‘beauty, ugliness and the power to disquiet’ held a ‘strange fascination’ that was a form of ‘natural surrealism’ and moved to the town in 1934.

Nash became known as a 'seaside surrealist', he would make art from what he saw and found around Swanage.

Paul was the older brother of the artist John Nash. His patterns still inspire contemporary design, and are used in a variety of ways, including on packaging.