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The London Group celebrates its 95th anniversary The year 2008 marks the 95th anniversary of the foundation of The London Group (the “Group” for short) and even a brief review of the Group’s history reveals what an astonishing range of artistic talent and influence has graced its ranks in that time. The Group was formed from a coming-together of a number of London based artists who had previously associated in other groupings of varying degrees of formality, and in which there was a tendency to share approaches, philosophies and techniques. Most of these earlier associations had proved short-lived, the Camden Town Group being one such, the English Vorticists another, but all contributed to the shared philosophy which underlay the foundation of The London Group, that of organising their own exhibitions without external censure. In creating the Group, the first members had, unwittingly, given birth to an institution that would prove to be one of the most radical, resilient and diverse in modern British art. From the outset, radicalism was hard-wired into the Group. It set itself against what was then seen as the self-serving conservatism of the traditional art establishment and in particular the Royal Academy. Also, the Group insisted on gender equality in its ranks, a remarkable expression of egalitarian philosophy at a time when even the universal franchise had yet to be achieved. Perhaps inevitably, given the lofty and uncompromising principles on which the Group was founded, there were occasional disagreements within the members’ ranks, leading to resignations and departures (often only temporary). Thus, one of the founding members, Walter Sickert, parted company from the Group almost immediately, only to be re-elected shortly thereafter. The Group continued its development throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, often leading and influencing new and evolving strands within British art. It has counted among its members most of the leading lights in the British visual arts community and is generally accepted to have reached a high-water mark in influence and achievement during the 1950s and early 1960s. Looking at the Group 95 years on, an observer might be inclined to remark that, at its core, it is surprisingly little changed, despite the seismic shifts that occurred in society at large during the same period. That this is so can perhaps be attributed to the fact that the Group has remained true to its founding traditions. Radicalism remains at the heart of the Group’s philosophy, enabling it always to stand at the cutting edge of its discipline without needing endless revision of its own rules and standards; the voicing and debate of diverse and divergent views between members is still a central feature of Group life, and the annual exhibitions continue to offer a forum in which work of all types and styles is shown. Quite simply, the Group has stood the test of time. Membership of the Group, however, evolves with the times. The Group currently has an exhibiting membership of 88, fairly typical of its size throughout its history, and ranging in age from late twenties to over ninety. New members are elected each year, and will bring with them a questing approach to their discipline with which, perhaps, to challenge the longer-established members. It is nevertheless remarkable that there have been only some 380 members of The London Group since its inception, and that almost one quarter of these are comprised within the current membership. The 95th anniversary year features a very full programme of Group exhibitions. The second part of the Group’s show at Deutsche Bank was held at the Bank’s HQ in the City of London between February and April, The Group are currently showing at the newly opened Mauger Modern Art in Bath, an out-of-London venue being a somewhat unusual departure but one which they are keen to develop further in the future. Also in May they are holding an exhibition of small works at the Highgate Gallery. The Group’s traditional annual members’ show will take place in late October at the Menier Gallery in Southwark, London, this being the same venue at which last year’s landmark Open Exhibition was held. Thus, activity and debate in this nonagenarian body still run as high as ever and, as the centenary approaches, long may it so continue! Link to additional information and articles on The London Group » |