Courtauld Gallery Exhibition – Beyond Bloomsbury
Features Avant-Garde Designs of Omega Workshops Set up by Roger Fry
Jun 18, 2009
In 1913 art critic and painter Roger Fry (1866-1934) set up the Omega Workshops at 33 Fitzroy Square, Bloomsbury. At the time, he and his associates hoped consumers would turn away from traditional Edwardian design ideas. At its peak Workshop members included Vanessa Bell, Duncan Grant, Wyndham Lewis, Frederick Etchells, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, Winifred Gill and other members of the Bloomsbury Group.
Omega Injects Fun into Domestic Design
Fry wanted to inject a sense of fun into the design of domestic products as well as providing employment for young artists. The Workshops were an experimental collective where new radical designs could be explored. Items designed by Workshop members remained anonymous, bearing only the Greek letter Ω (Omega) set in a square. This same sign decorated the signboard which hung outside 33 Fitzroy Square.
Although the Workshops remained open during World War I the collective closed for good in 1919. Various reasons contributed to the failure such as rows amongst the artists, the affects of war, and because Britain just wasn't ready for such bold new designs. Whatever the reasons the legacy of Roger Fry's dream is now a part of The Courtauld Institute of Art's important collection.
Omega Workshops – Inspired by European Avant-Garde Art
Members of the Omega Workshop were inspired by avant-garde art in Europe. The Workshop produced a broad range of items including clothing, linens, ceramics, stained glass, furniture, upholstery and rugs. All were vividly coloured with vibrant abstract designs.
Between 1913 and 1919 33 Fitzroy Square was the place to purchase a special gift such as a Post-Impressionist chair, a Cubist-inspired rug, or even an entire interior. Clients included high society figures such as Gertrude Stein, Lady Ottoline Morrell, Lady Maud Cunard, Lady Ian Hamilton, Virginia Woolf (Vanessa Bell's sister), W. B. Yeats, E. M. Forster, George Bernard Shaw and more.
Beyond Bloomsbury – About the Exhibition
The exhibition, Beyond Bloomsbury Designs of the Omega Workshops 1913-19, investigates six very important years in the history of 20th-century British design. The display explores the Workshops' approach to design by uniting original working drawings with examples of clothing, painted silks and linens, woven wools, ceramics, furniture and hand-knotted rugs. The drawings were bequeathed to The Courtauld Gallery in 1958 by Fry’s daughter Pamela Diamand.
Beyond Bloomsbury – the Highlights
The exhibition focuses mainly on textiles and designs for textiles, and asks how the Omega artists progressed from the initial idea to the finished object. Items on display include a sheet of linen printed with the design called Mechtilde, named after the German ambassador's wife, Princess Mechtilde Lichnowsky. The design is displayed with original sketches. This pattern was one of six designs produced by the Workshops during 1913. The design also appeared on a rug in 1914.
One of the most important pieces on display is the Peacock Stole. The chiffon silk stole, which features a pair of fighting peacocks painted with bright primary colours, has been reunited with two preliminary sketches from The Courtauld's collection.
The exhibition also features a painted screen, Bathers in a Landscape, and a colourful rug made for Lady Ian Hamilton's London home, designed by Vanessa Bell. Both items are displayed with preparatory drawings.
Ceramics From the Omega Workshops
On display is a collection of tableware made by Fry together with several terracotta cats by Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and plates attributed to Duncan Grant.
Winifred Gill's Prints and Toy Designs
Winifred Gill (1891–1981) played a vital part in keeping the collective open during the war, while at the same time designing toys. A special display of 43 linocuts and woodblock prints accompanies Beyond Bloomsbury. These rarely seen items show her bold, expressive style.
The Courtauld Gallery – Catalogue and Public Events
A full-colour catalogue accompanies the show and The Courtauld Gallery will be hosting a series of special events in support of the exhibition. The display will be on view until 20th September 2009 and details of opening times and all events can be obtained from The Courtauld Gallery.
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