British Prints From The Machine Age: Rhythms Of Modern Life 1914-1939

by ACKLEY CLIFFORD

This profusely illustrated book examines the impact of avant-garde Continental influences on British printmaking between the First and Second world wars. The images produced by these innovative British printmakers powerfully embody the era’s preoccupations with speed, machines, urbanism and other exciting facets of modern life.

More than 100 lithographs, etchings, woodcuts and linocuts, range from radical geometric abstractions to forceful impressions of the first fully mechanized war and colourful Jazz Age images of sports, speed trials, and other contemporary events.

The book focuses in particular on the well-known dynamic imagery of C. R. W. Nevinson, Paul Nash, Edward Wadsworth and David Bomberg (early followers of Italian Futurism and British Vorticism) and also the works of Claude Flight, Sybil Andrews, Cyril Power and Lill Tschudi.

Clifford S. Ackley’s introduction takes stock of the art historical movement and is followed by lively, thematic discussions of the prints, an overview of the history and technique of the modern linocut, and short biographies of the artists.

Clifford S. Ackley is Curator of Prints, Drawings and Photography at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Genres: Art

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent illustrations and informative introduction to each chapter. 2 interesting essays at the end on technique.

[Carlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read and looked at as a companion to Jenny Uglow’s Sybil Cyril: Cyril Power and Sybil Andrews, Artists Together, 1920–1943, a joint biography of the linocut artists Sybil Andrews and Cyril Power. This American exhibition catalogue shows the impact of Italian Futurism and Cubism on British modernist printmaking from the beginning of the Great War to the beginning of World War II, focusing on works primarily by Nevinson, Nash and Bomberg from initial Vorticist works (the first British art movement to embrace modernism), to works illustrating the Great War, to urban living in London and New York.
The book then provides copious illustrations of the colour linocuts promoted by Claude Flight, and taken up by Andrews, Power and Lill Tschudi (who trained at the Grosvenor School in London before returning to Switzerland). These sections of the catalogue are grouped thematically, rather than chronologically, which makes it difficult to see whether techniques are developed. The colour illustrations of Andrews and Power complement Uglow’s joint biography, and the works by other artists help to place their work in context.
Finally, there are two sections on the (short) history and technique of linocut, referencing some of the works illustrated. I found these fascinating and enlightening; they really lifted the book above the level of normal catalogues.

Published by Thames and Hudson to their usual high standards.

[Kate Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oddles of gorgeous arc deco prints, this book is a joy to flick through. It includes chapters on the different concerns that ignited the print makers imaginations and gives examples of how they built up the colours to create the finished print.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking. If you can imagine a dynamic, stylised image of London life (or Vorticist angularity) then it's in here.

A brilliant collection with some notes that will inspire and would-be linocutters.