Factions of British Avant-Garde Painters: 1910-1914

8/2/2019 Factions of British Avant-Garde Painters: 1910-1914

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Attheendof1913,alooseamalgamaonofarstswhowouldsooncometocall

themselves“theLondonGroup”organizedanexhibionattheBrightonCityArts

Centre.Thecataloguedescribedthisexhibionasaplacewhere"allmodern

methodsmayfindahome,CubismmeetsImpressionism,FuturismandSickersm

joinhandsandarenotashamed."I’veincludedself-portraitsofsomeofthearsts

whoexhibitedhere.Andwhileitmightlooklikeadiversegroupofstylesandclaimtobeaninclusiveexhibion,thelistalludestoaschismthathadformedamongst

Brishavant-gardepaintersduringtheyearsimmediatelyprecedingtheFirstWorld

War.

Mostnotably,itexcludedarstsoftheBloomsburyGroup,whowereundeniably

producingsomeofthemostavant-gardeworkinBritainduringthismeperiod.It

alsodidnotincludeanyworksassociatedwiththeRhythmGroup.Andsooneven

thegroupofexhibingarstswouldbreakintofacons.Ginner,Gilman,andBevan,

allCamdenTownGroupmembers,wereweeksawayfromdeclaringthemselves

“Neo-Realists.”Meanwhile,Lewis,Etchells,Wadsworth,andotherswereseveral

monthsawayfromlaunchinganewstylecalledVorcismthatembracedbold,

abstracted,mechanicalforms.By1914,thefaceoftheBrishavant-gardewasuerly

andirrevocablyfragmented.

Pictured(le%toright,toprowfirst):CharlesGinner,CharlesGinner ,1940;

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Thisgrowingdivisionwassomemestheresultofpersonalfeuds,butatthecore,itreflectedadeepdivisioninaesthectheory.Thoughtheseideologicaldifferenceswereo_ensubtleandsomemesdidnotevenimpactthestyleoftheartbeingproduced,

thedebatewasheatedandpublic.Therewasasensethatthefundamentalnatureofart,andtherolethatitshouldplayinsociety,waschanging,andarstswantedtoensurethattheirideashadanimpactinshapingthis.Sll,atthehighestlevel,

mostoftheavant-gardeagreedthat:

- Thebiggestinnovaonwasnolongerseeingillusionismasthegoalofvisualarts.Ifitwere,peoplewouldhavestopped

painngwhenphotographywasinvented.Therewasalsoaconsensusthatillusionism,whichflourishedinGreco-RomananquityandwasrevivedintheRenaissance,culminatedwithImpressionism.AlthoughImpressionistpainngsdidnot

copyvisualreality,theywerepreoccupiedwiththemechanismsofperceponandthereforeareinsomewayshyper-real.- Priorawarenessofamythorhistoricaleventorsymbolshouldnotbeprerequisiteforunderstandingandapprecianga

workofart.Artshouldbeautotelicandcommunicatepurelythroughvisualelements;theviewershouldnotberesponsible

forimposinghisorherownmeaningontothepiece.- “Beauty”andmoralitywerehighlysubjecveidealsthatweregenerallynotappropriatesubjectsforartthataimedtohave

auniversal,lasngvalue.

- Therapidpaceofsocialandtechnologicalchangesignalledthatanewagewasdawning,andtheartofthepast(oratleastmostWesternartofthepast)wasnolongersasfactory.

- Artrevealsaneternal,universaltruththatwecannotseeinvisual,raonalworld.Manybelievedthatthistruthwasobscuredbythetrappingsofmoderncivilisaonandsotheartofchildren,so-called‘primives’,thementallyill,andother

peopleworkingoutsideofthesetrappingswasseenasaesthecallysuperiortotheartproducedwithinit.

- Cezannewasthemostsupremegeniusofourme.That’snottosaythathewasnotsomemescricized(includingby–youguessedit–WyndhamLewis),butevenhisdetractorsareonrecordacknowledginghisincrediblecontribuonto

Modernart).

AmajorcaveattothislististhatitincludesmanythingswithwhichtheNeo-RealistswouldNOTagree.Wewilldiscussthem

andtheirstanceinmoredetaillater,butingeneral,thevariousavant-gardefaconsdidagreeofmanyimportantthings.Infact,therewassomuchtoagreeuponthatitisasurprisingthateveryonedidn’tjustmovetoBloomsburyandengageintorrid

loveaffairswitheachother.

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It’salsoabitsurprisingthattherewassomuchfragmentaonby1914becausein

1910,theavant-gardewassomewhatunitedinthefaceofacrical,reaconary

publica_erthefirstPost-Impressionistexhibion.Thisgavearstsacommonality

andsolidarityinthefaceofacommonenemy.ButbytheSecondPost-Impressionist

Exhibionin1912,thenegavecricalreaconwasmuchmoremuted.CliveBell

evenwroteinthecataloguethat“Happily,thereisnoneedtobedefensive.Thebaleiswon.”Therearemanycomplicatedreasonsforthischangeofheart,butone

isthedevelopmentofappropriatelanguageforviewing,analysing,andcriquingthe

worksofart.J.B.Bullenwrites:

“Theacceptabilityofanynewartformisinmatelydependentuponthewrien

wordandduringtheperiod1910-14artcricismchangedsubstanally;broadly

speakingitevolvedinthedireconofformalismwhereconceptssuchas‘rhythm’,

‘movement’,‘decoravepower’,or‘expressivecolour’wereusedtotranslatevisual

experienceintoverbalexperience.”

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RogerFryandhiscollaboratorsweredirectlyresponsiblefordevelopingmuchofthis

newlanguage.Asmanyas20,000cataloguesfortheSecondPost-Impressionist

Exhibionweresold–comparethistoseveralhundredcopiesofBlast orRhythm,

mostofwhichweresoldwithinavant-gardecirclesandnottothegeneralpublic.The

BloomsburyGroupsecuredevenmorepublicinfluencewhenCliveBellpublishedthe

“eminentlyreadable” Art in1914.Betweenthemainstreamsuccessof ArtandFry’sroleinorganizingthetwoPost-Impressionistexhibions,Frybecamethehighpriest

ofPost-Impressionismandformalism–andmanyofthearstsworkingoutsideof

theBloomsburyGroupdeeplyresentedthis.

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ThiscurrentofresentmentwasundoubtedlyunderlyingWyndhamLewis’public

breakwithFryover“theIdealHomeRumpus.”Theendresultofthisconflictwasto

effecvelysplittheBrishavant-gardeintotwogeneral,heterogeneousgroups.On

onesidewastheBloomsburyGroup.Ontheothersidewaspreymucheveryone

else,whoeventuallygavethemselvestheappropriatelygenericname“theLondon

Group.”AnditwastheLondonGroupthatorganizedthe“EnglishPost-Impressionists,Cubists,andOthers”exhibionthatwewerediscussingearlier.

Ofcourse,theLondonGrouphadtoomanyconflicnginterestsandstrong

personaliestoremainpeacefulforlong,andbeforelongvariousfaconsspunout.

Meanwhile,outsideofthefraywastheRhythmGroup,whichhadbeenworking

ratherautonomouslysince1911.SobythebeginningoftheFirstWorldWar,there

wereatleastfivedis<nct avant-gardearstgroupsinLondon.

Againstthishistoricalbackdrop,Iwanttodiscusseachgroupanditsartandits

theoriesingreaterdetail.Butbeforedoingthat,Iwanttosaythatthisisacomplex

topicandIamveryawareofhowdifficultitistomakeblanketstatementsaboutsuch

adiversegroupofpeople.Someofthesepeopleweremorevocaland/orarculate

abouttheirtheoriesthanothersandwethereforeunderstandthembeerandcan

talkaboutthemmore.Italsocomplicatesthingsfurtherthatarsts,likemost

people,tendtoexperimentandevolvethroughouttheirlife.SowhateverIsayabout

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Aswediscussed,BloomsburyhadcometoprominenceviaFry’simportantrolein

organizingthetwoPost-ImpressionistexhibitsandthenCliveBell’sbook Artin1914.

ThebookhadsignificantlogicalflawsandwascricizedevenbyFry,whowashugely

influenalonBell’sthinking,butitsllsoldwellandwasmuchmoreeffecvein

educangthepublicontheGroup’saesthectheoriesthanweretheavant-garde

journalsandmanifestospublishedbyotherarscfacons.

Art wasalandmarktextintheconceptualizaonofaesthecformalismand

introducedthegeneralpublictoconceptslike“aesthecemoon”and“significant

form.”Bothwereslightlymorerigid,dogmacversionsofFry’sideas,but

“significantform”isvisualsmulusthatprovokesapurely“aesthecemoon”in

people.Thisaesthecemooniscompletelydifferentfromnormal,day-to-day

emoonandfreeofintellectual,andpsychologicalovertones;itborrowsnothing

fromlife.Bellcalledsignificantformthebridgebetweenthephysicalandspiritual

worldsanditisbehindsignificantformthatwecancatchaglimpseofulmate

reality,whichisconsistentacrossmeandcultures.

Pictured(le%toright ):DuncanGrant,SelfPortrait,1920;DuncanGrant,VanessaBell ,

1915;RogerFry,SelfPortrait ,1928.

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Underthistheory,therepresentaveelementinartwasirrelevantatbestand

distracngatworst.AlthoughFrychallengedthisandBelllateradmiedthathis

theoriesweretooheavyhanded,theartofBloomsburyin1910to1914orso

evidencesexperimentaonwiththeformalqualiesofart.CliveBellwrote,“to

ensurehisdesign,thearstmakesithisfirstcaretosimplify”andifyoulookat

VanessaBell’sStudlandBeachfrom1912andthetwostudiesthatprecededit,itisveryobviousthataconsciousdisllaonofformandremovalofdetailistakingplace.

Theendresultisnottotalabstracon,butcertainlynotnaturalismeither.

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Theendresultisnottotalabstracon,butcertainlynotnaturalismeither.

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Meanwhile,lookingatDuncanGrant’sworkfromthismeperiodinchronological

orderisalmosttotakeajourneybackwardsthrougharthistory.His1909portraitof

LyonStracheyisaconvenonal,neo-Impressionistwork…

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…whileDancersseemstoharkenbacktotheearlyRenaissance.

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QueenofShebaisposivelyByzanne(andmanyModernpaintersgreatlyadmired

theByzannemosaicsofRavenna)…

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…andfinallywecometoTheTubandHeadofEvein1913.Thesetwoworksare

undeniablyprimive.

ThisprimivizingisappropriategiventheGroup’stheories,astheywerenotcalling

forarevoluoninart,butrather“therediscoveryoftheprinciplesofstructural

designandharmony.”ThiscanhelptoexplaintheideologicalappealofFry’sandBell’stheoriestothegeneralpublic.I’mborrowingthisideafromBullen,butfora

naonpoisedonthebrinkofWWI,itmusthavebeenveryreassuringtohearthat

thequaliesofgreatartwerepermanentandenduring.

TherewereothersuperficialaspectsoftheBloomsburyGroupthataddedtothe

appearanceofideologicalstagnaon.First,theGroupo_enpaintedconvenonal

subjects,likelandscapesandportraits.Althoughastrongargumentcouldbemade

thatbychoosingneutralsubjectmaer,anarstcouldfocusontheaesthec

qualiesofawork,thisappearedtosometobeahearkeningbacktoredEnglish

arsctradions.Fry’saffinityforthe“decorave”andtheOmegaWorkshopsalso

appearedonthesurfacetobeuncomfortablysimilartotheArtsandCra_s

MovementandAesthecism(althoughdeeperinvesgaonrevealsofcoursethat

theunderlyingconceptswereverydifferent).Frywassubstanallyolderthanmany

ofhiscontemporariesandwasthereforeo_enaccusedofharbouringaromanc

aachmenttotheseoutmodedVictoriantradions.

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AttheriskofdenigrangLewis’hugecontribuontoBrishartandculture,muchof

whathedidpriortotheFirstWorldWarcanbeunderstoodasadirectreacon

againsttheBloomsburyGroupandthatisgoingtobeaconsistentthemeinthis

discussionofhim.Theotherpartofhisthinkingcanbeexplainedbytheinfluenceof

T.E.Hulme,whowasinturnprofoundlyinfluencedbyWilhelmWorringer’sbook,

Abstrac<onandEmpathy.UndertheWorringer/Hulmeconstruct,arstsaredriventodepicttheirmaterialrealitywhentheyfeelatpeacewiththeirplaceinthe

universe.ThisexplainswhynaturaliscstylesflourishedduringGreco-Roman

anquityandthelast600yearsofWesternculture.However,inmeswhere

humankindisatthemercyofindifferentforces–nature,gods,war,disease,

industrializaon–arstsfindsolaceindepicngabstractformspreciselybecause

theyhavenorelaontotheunpleasant,uncertainphysicalreality.Theemergenceof

Modernart,therefore,couldbeexplainedasashi_backtoabstracona_eralong

periodofhumanismanditsassociatednaturaliscart.

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ThistheorywasnotwhollyremovedfromBloomsburyformalism.Bothplacedso-

called“primive”artaswellasthenewabstractmodernartonequalfoongwith

theartoftheClassicaltradionintheWesternworld.Bothacknowledgedan

aesthecexperiencethatisindependentfromtheconstructsoftheraonalmind

andalmostquasi-religiousinitsintensity.Bothagreedthatart–especiallysimplified,

abstractedart–heldthekeytoobjecve,universaltruths.

ButamajorfaultlineformedbetweentheBloomsburyGroup’scallfora“returnto

firstprinciples”andHulmeandLewis’conceponofModernismassomethingnew.

WhileHulmepositedthatgeometricabstraconwasinevitableforananxious,fearful

culture,theprecisestyliscexpressionofthiswasuniquetoanindividualculture.In

hislecture“ModernArtandItsPhilosophes”in1914,Hulmeindicatedthatthe

recentexperimentaonwithanalycalCubismwasaharbingeroftheadventofthe

newstyle,whichhepredictedwouldsomehowincorporatetheaesthecsof

machinery.

Wewon’thavemetodiscussallofthesecontrastsindetailtoday,butanotherkey

differencebetweenHulme(and,byextension,Lewis)andtheBloomsburyformalists

wastheasseronthatarscstyleisdeterminedbyacollecvesocialconsciousness

andnotanindividualarst.

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This“an-humanism”perspecveresonatedwithLewis,whogenerallyportrayed

peopleasmechanicalautomatonsatthemercyofindifferentexternalforcesoutside

ofthemselvesand“TheCrowd”makesmuchmoresenseinviewofHulme’stheories.

EventhoughLewisandHulmehadtheirdifferences(Hulmeisreportedtohave

literallyhungLewisbyhisbootstrapsa_eraquarreloveralady),Lewissaidthathad

Hulmenotdiedprematurely,hewouldhavewantedtobetoHulmewhatTurnerwastoRuskin,whichisahugecomplimentcomingfromsomeoneasantagoniscas

Lewis.

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ThisstyleisevidentinDavidBomberg’sMudBathaswell.Whileneverofficially

joiningtheVorcists,Bomberg’sartperfectlyencapsulatedageometricstyle

reminiscentofmachines.MudBathderivesnoformsfromnature;itiscompletely

abstractformandharshgeometriclines.

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ThesculptorJacobEpsteinwasalsogreatlyadmiredbyHulme,Lewisandthepoet

EzraPound.Reminiscentofprimivemonumentalsculpture,Pounddeclareditto

express“allthetragedyandenigmaofthegerminaluniverse:shealsoispermanent,

unescaping.”HulmewasalsoenthusiascaboutEpstein’ssculptures,whichhecould

easilyfitintohisownaesthectheory.

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Asaquickaside,I’veaddedintwosculpturesofJacobEpsteinthatIthoughtmightbe

ofinteresttothegroup.Thefirstisacastofoneof18sculpturesthatEpsteincarved

fortheBrishMedicalAssociaonbuilding,whichislocatedjustdownthestreet

fromusandisnowtheZimbabweEmbassy.Iamshowingacastbecausethe

originals,whilesllvisibleonthevisible,arebadlydamaged.Anyway,whenthese

wereunveiledin1908,earlyinEpstein’scareer,therewasanuproarabouttheirgrotesquetreatmentofthehumanfigure(andtobefair,theyarefairlydisturbing–

it’sdifficulttoseethemasacelebraonofmodernmedicine).Butdolookforthem

thenextmeyou’rewalkingtoCharingCross.

It’salsointeresngthatOscarWilde’sformerfriendandlover,RobbieRoss,

commissionedatombforWilde(nineyearsa_erWildedied)becauseWildewasthe

representaveofaesthecism/l’artpourl’art –exactlywhattheVorcistsandtheir

associateswererailingagainst.ButEpsteindiddesignthetombinadecidedlynon-

AesthecMovementstyle.Todayitiscoveredinlilegraffiandlipsckmarks,as

thereisatradiontokissthetomb.(Sidenote:aglasswalltopreventthispracce

wasaddedinNovember2011.Boo.)

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Weo_entakeforgrantedthatModernarstswereavant-garde.O_enmes,they

were;intheearlydaysofModernism,disnguishingone’sartfromtheofficialand

academicmainstreamandthendefendingitwasabsolutelynecessary.Butnotall

ModernBrishpaintersfeltcompelledtostayattheforefrontoftheaesthecand

ideologicaldebatesoftheirpeersandmanyofthosepainterswerepartofthe

CamdenTownGroup.

TodiscusstheGrouppurelyinstylistterms,theirworkisprobablymoreaccurately

dubbed“neo-Impressionism”thanPost-Impressionism(although,tobefair,thesame

claimcanapplytomanyBloomsburyworks).TheCamdenTownGroupmembers

werealsomorecomfortablewithmainstreamsuccess.Severalofthembecame

teachersatpresgiousartschools.OthersbecamewarpaintersandWalterSickert

joinedtheRoyalAcademyin1924.Generallyspeaking,thecoremembersofthe

CamdenTownGroupdidnotfeelthepressuretopavethefutureoftheartand,since

manyoftheircontemporariessopassionatelydid,theyquietlyfellbythewaysidein

theheatedaesthecdebates.

Pictured:WalterSickert,Ennui ,1914.

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ThissumsuptheGroupgenerally,butatmestheywerevocallyreaconary.J.B.

Manson,theGroup’ssecretaryandoneofitsmoreunsuccessfulpainters(wholater

becameavery,veryunsuccessfuldirectoroftheTate),wasoneofthefewtowritea

hoslereviewoftheSecondPost-ImpressionistExhibion.Init,heblamedFry

personallyfor“thechaocstateofmodernartinEngland.”Threeweekslater,he

praisedaCamdenTownGroupexhibionattheCarfaxGallery,sayingthat“itrepresentsthelogicaldevelopmentofImpressionisminthiscountry.”Sickertalso

didnottotallyembracetheexperimentaonofhispeers,perthequoteabove.

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AndifweneedanymoreproofthatSickertresentedtheoverwhelminginfluenceof

RogerFry,here’sacaricaturefromtheCourtauld’sowndrawingcollecon,which

portraysRogerFryasagoogly-eyed“highpriest”ofPost-Impressionism.

Inspiteofthis,SickertatonepointconsideredmerginghisFitzroyStreetGroupwith

theBloomsburyGroup’sFridayClubinanefforttoconsolidatepower.Thisfellaparta_ertheIdealHomeRumpus,butifithadnot,itisverydifficulttoimaginesuchan

allianceeverforming.

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ReaconarysenmentculminatedintheCamdenTownGroupnotwithSickert,but

withCharlesGinner,HaroldGilman,andRobertBevanissuedamanifestoentled

NewRealismin1914.Init,thefollowingproclamaonwasmade:“Eachagehasits

landscape,itsatmosphere,itscies,itspeople.Realism,lovinglife,lovingitsage,

interpretsitsspeechbyextracngfromittheveryessenceofallitcontainsofgreat

orweak,ofbeaufulorsordid.Realismisthusnotonlyapresentinmaterevelaonofitsownme,butbecomesadocumentforfutureages.”Neo-Realismdidnothave

muchofapresencea_eritsdebut,inpartbecauseGilmandiedofSpanishfluin

1919.Butwithitsdefenseofvisualrepresentaonandartasahistoricalrecord,itis

hardtoimagineNeo-Realismgainingfoongamongsttheothermembersofthe

Brishavant-garde.

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IftheCamdenTownGroupwasmostcloselyconnectedtoImpressionism,thenthe

RhythmGroupwasmostinsyncwiththeFrenchPost-Impressionists.Sostrongwas

theiridenficaonwiththeirParisiancounterparts,parcularlyMasseandhis

follows,thatanarclebyMichaelSadleirinRhythmmagazinesuggestedthatPost-

ImpressionistsshouldbecalledinsteadtheFauves.Thisaffinityisreflectedinthe

strong,boldlinesandbrightcoloursusedbytheRhythmGrouppainters.However,theirworktendedtohavemoreharmoniouscolouringandmoreorganised

composions.Theyalsotendedtounifythebackgroundsandforegroundsoftheir

painngs.

Pictured:J.D.Fergusson,LeVoilePersan,1909.

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Conceptually,theemphasiswasoncapturingthe‘rhythm’oflife.Here,theRhythm

Grouplookedacrossthechannelagainforinfluence,drawingheavilyonthetheories

ofHenriBergsoninFranceandadopng“intuion”(i.e.perceponstrippedof

raonalconstructsandworldlyconcerns)asthemeanstounveilingthefundamental

essenceoflife.ForBergsonandfortheRhythmGroupmembers,intuionwasthe

pathtowardseeingthingsastheyreallyare.

ItisactuallyeasiertodiscusstheGroup’saesthecandconceptualtheoriesthanitis

theirrelaonshipwiththerestoftheBrishavant-gardeandthisisafunconof

theirrelaveinsularity.BecausetheGrouphaditsownpublicaonandaParis-

centredphilosophyandmarket,theywerenotasvisiblyinvolvedinthestrugglefor

dominanceintheBrishavant-garde.It’salsoworthnongthatnoneoftheGroup’s

membersweretrulyEnglish.J.D.FergussonlivedinLondonforover20years,but

eventuallyreturnedtoScotlandandistodaychieflyrememberedasaScosh

Colourist.Meanwhile,AnneEstelleRicewasAmerican,althoughsheeventually

marriedanEnglishmanandseledinLondon.Sll,perhapsbecauseneitherofits

chiefproponentswereBrish,theRhythmGroupdidnothaveastrongdriveor

strongcredibilitytoredefine“Brish”art.Evensll,theGroupresentedthe

dominanceofFryandatmesaackedhiminitsjournalRhythm.

Ihopethatthishashelpedtoilluminatetheaesthecandideologicaldifferences

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Documents

Factions of British Avant-Garde Painters: 1910-1914