Paul Neagu (born 1930, Romania; died 2004 UK) has been an important figure in European art since the 1970s. His work and teaching have been influential. He worked in variety of media including sculpture, installation, painting and performance. This drawing is one of a group of 93 given by the artist to the V&A in 1999. This group of drawings was selected by the artist (with the curator Gill Saunders) to trace the development - as far as is possible through works on paper - of Neagu's career. The development, metamorphosis and recurrence of motifs can be seen in different media and variant forms. The drawings record several of his 'signature' forms: the hyphen, the starhead, and his so-called 'subject generator'. There are also studies which relate to installations and performances, and to his concept of 'generative art', an idea which was fundamental to his creative practice. The drawings as a group demonstrate the fascinating interplay of ideas across different media and over the passage of nearly 30 years.
