Drawing attention

Contemporary Review, Jan, 1998 by Geraldine Jones

Nevertheless, it is unfortunate that the public are often given a distorted view of the state of the art in this country due to the 'hype' of the avant-garde. Whilst promoting discussion, the avant-garde attracts attention through its ability to shock, and in doing so is taken up and promoted by the media and by galleries. To them the avant-garde is big business, but whether it is 'good' art, only time will tell. Like all art produced in the past, however, it is a record of and an insight into, the society and times in which it is produced. It is easy to assume that this type of art is the norm, produced by hundreds of British artists, but this is not true.

Most artists are unsuccessful in commercial terms. Only a minority reach the level of success that involves regular private gallery and museum exhibitions and coverage in the international art magazines. Most artists support their work through a second job, but their measure of success is very different from that of making money. The satisfaction of creating something unique and personal from an emotional and intellectual response to our present environment and society is their success. Nevertheless, they need to measure their achievements and perhaps the best way to do this is by exhibiting with other artists. This is one of the foremost functions of the art society today. There are hundreds of art societies throughout the country, some professional, some amateur, but they all help the individual artist to see his work alongside that of others, as well as stimulating discussion which is often vital for the creative mind.

Artistic societies, although having similar functions and aims, have different requirements for membership and selection procedures. There is only one British art society, however, that considers good draughtsmanship as the prime requirement for membership; this is the Society of Graphic Fine Art.

The Society of Graphic Fine Art was formed in the early part of this century in order to promote good drawing and this is still its primary aim today. Originally called the Society of Graphic Art, it has its origins in the etching class of the old London County Council's Central School of Arts and Crafts before the First World War. At that time a number of enthusiastic students met after their classes to talk about their work with their tutor, Luke Taylor, in a friendly and eager atmosphere. With the start of World War I, although these meetings continued, they changed as men went to fight. Luke Taylor, being a man of exceptionally high ideals, as well as an excellent etcher, enlisted at the first opportunity and after a short period of service was sadly killed. His successor at the etching class in London also joined up and it was up to a senior student, Frank Emmanuel, to take over the running of the class and the after school meetings. Being a man of considerable drive and having a sound technical ability, he kept the work of the students at a level of competence that soon became known for its high standards of achievement.

While art classes continued to take place, the First World War inevitably affected many practising artists and many of them enlisted to see active service. The British Government, recognising the value of visual records of wartime activities, evolved the Official War Artists Scheme in 1916 to forward the existing propaganda programme. Under this scheme, practising artists were recruited to serve in the capacity of recording wartime events and personalities. Nevertheless, other fighting men made visual records outside the War Artists Scheme. Much of their work is of a far more personal nature and charged with the emotion of being part of the action rather than just observing it. Frank Brangwyn and S. Tresilian, both to become members of the Society of Graphic Art, made wartime records and are represented in the Imperial War Museum. Tresilian's sketches as a prisoner of war at Rastatt, near Karlsruhe, are particularly poignant.

After the war there was a short return to classical ideals in the visual arts but as the horrors receded, a new trend towards 'Modernism' appeared and conventional values were put aside. The Jazz Age took over and Art Deco became the popular art movement of the time, though Futurism and abstract art were starting to make an impact. The visual arts seemed in turmoil. Some artists grew tired of the changes and wanted to go back to the order and stability of classical aesthetics. Frank Emmanuel of the etching class at the Central School of Arts and Crafts was one of them. He was a man of strict principles and high ideals, and he hated the modern movement of art towards abstraction. He often spoke out in opposition to it and he became known for his written articles condemning all such 'Bolshie Art'. It was due to his commitment to the traditional values that in 1919 a student in his group suggested that an art society be formed upholding his beliefs. It was put forward that the aims of the Society would be the encouragement and practice of good draughtsmanship and this concept was eagerly discussed, taken up and gradually developed. Consequently, the first official meeting of the 'Graphic Art Society' took place in 1920. A month later the Society's first exhibition was held in London where the work of the elected members, many of them distinguished artists, were on display along with contributions from non-members. The public and critics alike saw visual evidence that traditional art was still practised alongside the 'modern' approach. This introduction to the new Society was helped by a short pamphlet written by a founding member, A. J. Finsberg, an authority on water-colours and the work of J. M. Turner, but its name really became established when Sir Frank Brangwyn became its first President.