factions of british avant-garde painters: 1910-1914
TRANSCRIPT
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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