Sidney James Hunt was born in 1896 and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London. During the 1920s he designed bookplates and contributed modern-style drawings for several international art magazines, such as Artwork, Der Querschnitt, Der Sturm, Tambour and Contimporanul. Hunt also published experimental poems in modern journals, such as Transition, Seed, and Blues: A Magazine of New Rhythms. In October 1925, he held his first solo exhibition at the Mayor Gallery in London. Between 1926 and 1932, he was a member of the Seven and Five Society, one of the most progressive art societies in interwar England. In 1926 and 1927, Hunt edited the avant-garde magazine Ray, which has been described as the English equivalent of influential art journals from the 1920s such as Merz, Mecano and De Stijl.[1]Ray featured work of leading figures of the European avant-garde such as Kurt Schwitters, El Lissitzky, Theo van Doesburg, Naum Gabo and Hans Arp. It has been said that Hunt died in his studio in 1940, aged forty-four, during The Blitz.[2]
Styleedit
Much of Hunt's work is homoerotic; he had homosexual patrons like Sir Edward Marsh; Alfred Flechtheim reproduced his Ganymede in Der Querschnitt (1921, VIII, p. 346); his drawings of boys appeared with those of Ralph Chubb in The Island in 1931; the bookplates he produced feature naked youths; and Oswell Blakeston published his experimental prose poem fantasies of 18-year-old hermaphrodites in the first, 1933 issue of Seed (p. 7). His themes included boys bathing, sunbathing, posing with pansies and possibly boy prostitutes on a "Saturday afternoon" in Artwork (1924, I, p. 75). He is one of the few modernist artists to use abstraction to express the essentials of male beauty in simplified forms like his painting of "Ganymede" or by contrasts of black and white as in "Drawing" (1922). As Candela has speculated, he may also be the creator of the photomontages that he published in Ray (pp. 2, 15 and 27), as by the otherwise unknown P. Capeli. His work as a pioneer of British modernism and as an abstract gay artist deserves much more reassessment.
Referencesedit
^Iria Candela, "'The only English periodical of the avant-garde': Sidney Hunt and the journal 'Ray'", The Burlington Magazine (April 2010), pp. 239-244.
^Exh. cat. The Artist as Illustrator 1880-1940, London (Michael Parkin Fine Art Ltd), 1984, s.p.
External linksedit
Sidney Hunt's bookplate with Nietzsche quote "Curved is the path of eternity", Library of Congress, Washington DC.
Sidney Hunt's bookplate of Bella C. Landauer with "Lend a hand" motto, Library of Congress, Washington DC.
January 01, 1970
sidney, hunt, 1896, 1940, british, draughtsman, painter, poet, editor, published, avant, garde, journal, between, 1926, 1927, contents, life, style, references, external, linkslife, editsidney, james, hunt, born, 1896, studied, slade, school, fine, london, dur. Sidney Hunt 1896 1940 was a British draughtsman painter poet and editor who published the avant garde journal Ray between 1926 and 1927 Contents 1 Life 2 Style 3 References 4 External linksLife editSidney James Hunt was born in 1896 and studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London During the 1920s he designed bookplates and contributed modern style drawings for several international art magazines such as Artwork Der Querschnitt Der Sturm Tambour and Contimporanul Hunt also published experimental poems in modern journals such as Transition Seed and Blues A Magazine of New Rhythms In October 1925 he held his first solo exhibition at the Mayor Gallery in London Between 1926 and 1932 he was a member of the Seven and Five Society one of the most progressive art societies in interwar England In 1926 and 1927 Hunt edited the avant garde magazine Ray which has been described as the English equivalent of influential art journals from the 1920s such as Merz Mecano and De Stijl 1 Ray featured work of leading figures of the European avant garde such as Kurt Schwitters El Lissitzky Theo van Doesburg Naum Gabo and Hans Arp It has been said that Hunt died in his studio in 1940 aged forty four during The Blitz 2 Style editMuch of Hunt s work is homoerotic he had homosexual patrons like Sir Edward Marsh Alfred Flechtheim reproduced his Ganymede in Der Querschnitt 1921 VIII p 346 his drawings of boys appeared with those of Ralph Chubb in The Island in 1931 the bookplates he produced feature naked youths and Oswell Blakeston published his experimental prose poem fantasies of 18 year old hermaphrodites in the first 1933 issue of Seed p 7 His themes included boys bathing sunbathing posing with pansies and possibly boy prostitutes on a Saturday afternoon in Artwork 1924 I p 75 He is one of the few modernist artists to use abstraction to express the essentials of male beauty in simplified forms like his painting of Ganymede or by contrasts of black and white as in Drawing 1922 As Candela has speculated he may also be the creator of the photomontages that he published in Ray pp 2 15 and 27 as by the otherwise unknown P Capeli His work as a pioneer of British modernism and as an abstract gay artist deserves much more reassessment References edit Iria Candela The only English periodical of the avant garde Sidney Hunt and the journal Ray The Burlington Magazine April 2010 pp 239 244 Exh cat The Artist as Illustrator 1880 1940 London Michael Parkin Fine Art Ltd 1984 s p External links editSidney Hunt s bookplate with Nietzsche quote Curved is the path of eternity Library of Congress Washington DC Sidney Hunt s bookplate of Bella C Landauer with Lend a hand motto Library of Congress Washington DC Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sidney Hunt amp oldid 1197050967, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
