The Great Bardfield Artists were a community of artists who lived in Great Bardfield, a village in north west Essex, England, during the middle years of the 20th century.
During the 1950s the Great Bardfield Artists organised a series of large 'open house' exhibitions which attracted national and international press attention. Positive reviews and the novelty of viewing modernist art works in the artists' own homes led to thousands visiting the remote village during the summer exhibitions of 1954, 1955 and 1958. As well as these large shows the Great Bardfield Artists held exhibitions of their work in Cambridge (1956) and Bristol (1959). The artists also organised a multi-city tour of England and Ireland during 1957 and 1958. The early 1960s saw the majority of the Great Bardfield artists leave the village.
Legacy
In 1985, the Fry Art Gallery was established in Saffron Walden with the expressed aim of highlighting the paintings, prints, wallpapers, books, fabrics and ceramics made by the Great Bardfield art community between 1930 and 1970. Many of the artists have had exhibitions at the Fry Art Gallery and elsewhere.
References
Colin MacInnes, ‘Introduction’, Great Bardfield Artists, W. S. Cowell, Ipswich, c.1957
Martin Salisbury, Artists at the Fry: Art and Design in the North West Essex Collection, Ruskin Press, Cambridge, 2003
W. J. Strachan, ‘The Artists of Great Bardfield’, Studio, March 1958
External links
Fry Art Gallery
December 30, 2022
great, bardfield, artists, were, community, artists, lived, great, bardfield, village, north, west, essex, england, during, middle, years, 20th, century, woodcut, long, wilmington, eric, ravilious, edward, bawden, dunkirk, embarkation, wounded, 1940, imperial,. The Great Bardfield Artists were a community of artists who lived in Great Bardfield a village in north west Essex England during the middle years of the 20th century May woodcut of the Long Man of Wilmington by Eric Ravilious Edward Bawden s Dunkirk Embarkation of Wounded May 1940 Imperial War Museum The principal artists who lived there between 1930 and 1970 were John Aldridge RA Edward Bawden George Chapman Stanley Clifford Smith Audrey Cruddas Walter Hoyle Eric Ravilious Sheila Robinson Michael Rothenstein Kenneth Rowntree and Marianne Straub Other artists associated with the group include Duffy Ayers John Bolam Bernard Cheese Tirzah Garwood Joan Glass David Low and Laurence Scarfe Great Bardfield Artists were diverse in style but shared a love for figurative art making the group distinct from the better known St Ives School of artists in St Ives Cornwall who after the war were chiefly dominated by abstractionists During the 1950s the Great Bardfield Artists organised a series of large open house exhibitions which attracted national and international press attention Positive reviews and the novelty of viewing modernist art works in the artists own homes led to thousands visiting the remote village during the summer exhibitions of 1954 1955 and 1958 As well as these large shows the Great Bardfield Artists held exhibitions of their work in Cambridge 1956 and Bristol 1959 The artists also organised a multi city tour of England and Ireland during 1957 and 1958 The early 1960s saw the majority of the Great Bardfield artists leave the village Legacy EditIn 1985 the Fry Art Gallery was established in Saffron Walden with the expressed aim of highlighting the paintings prints wallpapers books fabrics and ceramics made by the Great Bardfield art community between 1930 and 1970 Many of the artists have had exhibitions at the Fry Art Gallery and elsewhere References EditColin MacInnes Introduction Great Bardfield Artists W S Cowell Ipswich c 1957 Martin Salisbury Artists at the Fry Art and Design in the North West Essex Collection Ruskin Press Cambridge 2003 W J Strachan The Artists of Great Bardfield Studio March 1958External links EditFry Art Gallery Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Great Bardfield Artists amp oldid 1096888992, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
