Exhibition of art works from the Contemporary Art Society at the Blackheath School of Art in 1934

From 5 to 10 February 1934, a loan exhibition of recent acquisitions from the Contemporary Art Society was held at the Blackheath School of Art. This was the first temporary exhibition that I came across in the course of learning more about the history of the school. The exhibition was opened by the local painter Francis Dodd, and his speech provided advice to the students in the art of drawing and the style of depiction.[1] The display was promoted as having immense value for the students being able to view works by modern artists up close. The residents of Blackheath who also found the exhibition beneficial ‘were given the opportunity of seeing in their own immediate neighbourhood an exhibition of a standard rarely available outside of Bond-street’.[2]

One hundred works, comprising of recent acquisitions by the society, formed a part of a touring exhibition which, in addition to Blackheath, also visited City Art Gallery, Leeds, St Marylebone Town Hall, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, City Art Gallery, Manchester and Corporation Art Gallery, Carlisle.[3]

The works for the exhibition were chosen by the keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum, Campbell Dodgson and the display of the works of art arranged by the principal John Platt. Two of Platt’s works were acquired as a part of the Print Fund in 1934, they were Red Bull and Mullion Cove, both of which featured in the exhibition at Blackheath School of Art. Additionally the list of acquisitions from 1934 feature works by another teacher at Blackheath including woodcuts by Douglas Bliss, Illustrations to the Devil in Scotland.[4] Acquisitions from the immediate two preceding years included prints by Platt, Mullion Cove and The Echoing Shore,[5] and Robert Austin, Still LIfe, Perugia.[6]

Works on display in the exhibition included:

Dame Laura Knight – Gemini - more here
Pearl Binder – Wentworth Street - more here
Ludwig Heinrich Jungnickel – Jagua

Anna Findlay – The Paper Mill - you can find out more about Anna Findlay from the excellent Modern Printmakers blog - here

Joseph Simpson – George Bernard Shaw, etching, 1929. The British Museum, 1941,0208.92.
Source: The British Museum.

John Edgar Platt – Mullion Cove - more here

Source: http://woodblock.com/platt/

John Edgar Platt, Red Bull - more here
Source: http://woodblock.com/platt/

John Edgar Platt – The Echoing Shore - more here
Source: http://woodblock.com/platt/

Most of the above works were acquisitions from 1932 or 1933.

Works acquired by the CAS by Robert Austin and Douglas Bliss can be seen below.

Robert Austin, Still Life, Perugia, etching, 1932, Minneapolis Institute of Art. Gift of Robert Austin's Daughters Rachel and Clare 2013.70.37. A version of this print was acquired by the Contemporary Art Society in 1933 and gifted to the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Source: Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Douglas Bliss, Wandering Willie's Tale, from The Devil in Scotland.
Source: Collection of the author.

Douglas Bliss, Thrawn Janet image from the Title page, from The Devil in Scotland.
Source: Collection of the author. A book featuring prints from the Devil in Scotland was given to the British Museum by the Contemporary Art Society in 1934. Whether this book was included in the exhibition at Blackheath School of Art is unknown.

Having Blackheath as one of the venues for this touring exhibition was a coup for the students of the school and the locals alike. John Platt's contacts in the art world enabled him to organise interesting exhibitions during his time as principal from 1929 to 1940. This is intended to be the first in a series of entries on the exhibitions held at the Blackheath School of Art in the 1930's.

---

[1] ‘Loan exhibition of recent acquisitions of the Contemporary Art Society’ in Blackheath Local Guide, 17 February, 1934, p 11. The concluding passage of Dodd’s opening speech advised students that whilst looking at the drawings on display ‘that the best drawing was the one they saw with their minds’ eyes before they began to touch paper, for it was extremely difficult to do anything in a perfect manner.’

[2] loc. cit., p. 10.  Students were able to use their analytical skills to ascertain the technical skills which would have been very valuable for their development.

[3] Contemporary Art Society Report, 1934 - 1935, p. 29. The exhibition featured over 100 prints and drawings which were recent acquisitions.

[4] loc. cit., p. 30. I am unsure as to whether this work was acquired pre Feb 1934 for it to be included in the exhibition.

[5] Contemporary Art Society Report, 1932 – 1933, p. 33. Whether the CAS acquired two versions of Mullion Cove (one in 1932 and the other in 1934) is yet to be ascertained.

[6] loc. cit., p. 34. Robert Austin taught at BSA in the mid 1920’s.