by David Klein
For a scintillating decade between the wars, European modernism invaded Britain. The greatest impact of this avant-garde tidal wave was felt at London's Grosvenor School of Modern Art. Important aesthetic movements such as Futurism, Expressionism, and Cubism which had already transformed European and American art, were unable to pierce the thick walls of an insular and conservative England. But in the 1920's, primarily through the efforts of Grosvenor's Claude Flight, modernism finally found a foot hold within the British art establishment. Ironically, this contribution was largely made by way of the most underrated of all print media, the linocut.Linocuts are made in much the same way as woodcuts, though linoleum is a more pliable material and is often used for instructional purposes, having been invented in the 1880's as a means of teaching children. Perhaps because of this, the linocut has sometimes been looked down on in the world of printmaking, although it has distinctive qualities that have been exploited by major artists such as Picasso and Matisse.
The use of linocuts was introduced to Grosvenor by Claude Flight after World War 1. Flight served in the British Army for most of the war, and during his time oversees, he was exposed to the major art movements that had developed in Paris before the war. On his return, he became a passionate advocate of the New Art and the elegantly simple technique of linocut printmaking.
As Flight's reputation grew, he attracted a diverse and talented group of young printmakers to Grosvenor. Flight considered the linocut an inexpensive way to bring modern imagery to the masses. Therefore he encouraged his students to use everyday scenes as the basis of their prints-students dealt with genre subjects such as domestic interiors and playgrounds, or scenes from the urban-industrial landscape. Always, though, this subject matter was transformed according to personal interpretations of modernist imagery.
Flight's most talented students were Cyril Power, Lill Tshudi, and Sybil Andrews. They created imagery that was distinctly modern. Power was fascinated by the brutal energy of a speeding train rushing headlong through a tube station, while Lill Tshudi captured the frenetic movements of modern dance and the Jazz Age. Sybil Andrews, who perhaps produced the most significant body of work, created memorable images of British industry and sport.
The modernist influence at Grosvenor lasted only decade. Flight left in the 193o but continued to promote the use of the linocut as an important form of printmaking. Over the last sixty years collectors have mostly ignored this important decade in British art. But with the renewed in the art and design of the Twenties, British linocuts have only recently become popular. Prices for work of good quality ranges from $1,000 to $12,000. Work is still available from galleries in London and New York.
Collecting Modern British LinocutsThere has been growing interest in the color linocuts of the Grosvenor School, a largely forgotten art movement derived from British Vorticism and Italian Futurism that flourished from early 1920s to 1935. These dynamic prints are priced from about $1,000 to $12,000 and up, depending on the rarity and desirability of the image as well as the quality of the impression. Modern print dealers in England and the United States are the best sources.