Rhythms of Modern Life: British Prints, 1914-1939

by Clifford Ackley (Editor), Stephen Coppel (Contributor), Thomas Rassieur (Contributor)

It is little known that interbellum Britain hosted a generation of Modernist artists who absorbed the wealth of Continental avant-garde idioms and adapted them to their own unique ends. Some of this work was done under the rubric of Vorticism, the Neofuturist movement spearheaded by Wyndham Lewis, while other artists were closely associated with London’s Grosvenor School of Art (and so came to be known collectively as the Grosvenor School), breaking new ground in the practice of linocut. Rhythms of Modern Life examines the impact of Cubism and Futurism on British printmaking in the years between the First and Second World Wars, focusing in particular on the dynamic imagery of 13 artists, including C.R.W. Nevinson, Paul Nash, Edward Wadsworth and David Bomberg, all early followers of Italian Futurism and British Vorticism, and on the works of Grosvenor School artists Claude Flight, Sybil Andrews, Cyril Power and Lill Tschudi. All of these artists coined styles that addressed the velocity of modern life, espousing industry, speed and an optimism for the century ahead. This book, the first survey of its kind, features more than 100 lithographs, etchings, woodcuts and linocuts, ranging from geometric abstractions to forceful impressions of the first fully mechanized war, Jazz Age images of sporting events, speed trials and other contemporary diversions. Clifford S. Ackley’s introduction takes stock of the art historical moment and is followed by discussions of the prints, an overview of the history and technique of the modern linocut and short biographies of the artists.

Genres: Art

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 10, 2008

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the last 10 years. This art for me is the perfect marriage between aesthetics and meaning. I am still thrilled when I encounter one of these artworks.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

While very limited in the scope of artists that it covers, this book does a good job presenting how futurism and cubism influenced British print makers. It follows the development of vorticism and the subsequent Grosvenor School artists. A large number of illustrations accompany short chapters that lead the reader through time from prior to WWI, through the First War, and into the years following. Perhaps most interesting, the end of the book covers the materials and techniques used by the artists. I highly recommend this introduction to the world of the Grosvenor school and their efforts to express the hustle and bustle of life. I also commend the various art historians and curators who have finally brought this female dominated movement to the forefront!

[Alisa]

Printmaking, the art form I am always interested in. These are especially dynamic as they capture the movement and bustle of modern cities. My favorites were scenes from public transport by Cyril E. Power.