Page 42 - Studio International - April 1967

Fig. 10
Ben Nicholson
White Relief 1935
Oil on carved mahogany
39 x 65 in.
Courtesy Tate Gallery,
London
'The Tate relief is carved
out of a piece of mahogany
(a spare leaf from a table,
and bought in Camden
Town and brought back on a
24 bus).' (Nicholson-quoted
from letter Feb 11.)

broken columns and white horses and large women movement.' (Listener, 16.3.1932.) Out of the effects of
asleep' ( John Armstrong; from a statement in Unit 1 the Recent Developments exhibition the idea of Unit
1934), where Chirico reigned supreme. In fact in all One was born.
Nash's 'abstract' work the objective world is not so much In discussions with the architect Wells Coates, a founder-
absent as hidden. The real subjects are there, but drawn member of the MARS group, and then with Moore
in such a way—from unusual viewpoints or in misleading and Nicholson, the composition of the society was decided
details— that we do not immediately recognize them for upon. The original members were: Architects — Wells
what they are. The final experience of recognition is Coates and Colin Lucas; Sculptors — Moore and Hep-
close to the revelatory shock of the Surrealist 'metamor- worth; Painters — Wadsworth, Nicholson, Nash, Frances
phosis'. Somewhere hidden in the depths of most Hodgkins, Edward Burra, John Bigge, John Armstrong.
`abstract' English paintings of the early '30s there lies a Tristram Hillier replaced Frances Hodgkins soon after
patch of blue sky which is pure Magritte. Nash was the group was established. In retrospect the members
called by Magritte the 'master of the object'. He never seem to have had few points in common, but at the time
deserved the title more than in his least representational they were united by a desire to combat the isolationism of
work. (Fig 15.) British art. 'We regarded ourselves as the spearhead of
Nash began to write regular articles for the Weekend contemporary European painting and sculpture, which,
Review in December 1930 and for The Listener the at that time, had scarcely penetrated to England.'
next April. During a period of transition in British art he (Tristram Hillier). The re-opening of the Mayor Gallery
wrote regularly and perceptively upon a wide range of in April 1933 in newly-decorated premises provided the
issues relevant to that transition, continually anticipating group with a base. In the gallery's opening exhibition
possibilities which he was to assist in realizing. Amongst Wadsworth, Nicholson, Nash, Armstrong, Hillier, Bigge
his own generation in England he was an early and and Moore were shown alongside continental painters
energetic champion for the cause of abstraction. of the highest standing. In June 1933 Nash announced
In December 1931 an important exhibition was held at the formation of Unit One in a letter to The Times and
Facing page Tooth's Gallery under the title 'Recent Developments followed this with an article in The Listener in which he
Fig. 11
For the last exhibition of in British Painting'. The exhibitors were Edward Burra, explained the aims of the new movement in terms of an
the 7 & 5 (the only one at J. W. Power, Wadsworth, Nicholson, John Bigge, John implicit rejection of the Bloomsbury-inspired interests of
the Zwemmers), the Armstrong, Henry Moore and John Aldridge. The the '20s. 'The ingenious and agreeable exercises in form-
catalogue format was
changed entirely and forward-looking character of the exhibition as a whole alized naturalism, "Post-Cézannism" and "Derainism"
illustrations were included prompted Nash to consider the possibility of a united have ceased to be of the first interest; they no longer hold
for the first time. Though
not all the work was of the British front to combat those elements of chauvinism our attention. A desire to find again some adventure in art
highest standard the and reaction which he saw in Britain. 'When the day seems more and more urgent... This seems to suggest, as
exhibition did mark a period comes,' he wrote, 'for a more practical, sympathetic well as any explanation, the meaning of the contemporary
of intense creativity in the
careers of a small group of alliance between architect, painter, sculptor and decor- spirit. It is the adventure, the research, the pursuit, in
major artists. ator, we may see the acceleration of an important modern life...' (Listener, 5.7.1933.) Herbert Read, who by
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