Artwork of the Week - 12th January 2015

Edward Bawden - Brighton Pier

Edward Bawden was born in Braintree, Essex as an only child in 1903. He spend much of his childhood drawing and it was while he attended the Friends' School at Saffron Walden that his headmaster recommended him to study one day a week at Cambridge School of Art. He later went on to attend Cambridge School of Art full time. This was followed by a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in London.  Here he met his fellow student and future collaborator, Eric Ravilious, the pair were described famously by their teacher, Paul Nash, as "an extraordinary outbreak of talent".

By 1930 Edward Bawden was working one day a week for the Curwen Press (as was Eric Ravilious and their former tutor, Paul Nash), producing illustrations for leading accounts such as London Transport, Westminster Bank, Twinings, Poole Potteries and Shell-Mex. At this time Edward Bawden produced some of his most humorous and innovative work for Fortnum & Mason and Imperial Airways.  During the Second World War Edward Bawden was nominated Official War Artist; he produced mostly watercolours, at this point, and worked both in France and the Middle East.

During the late 1950's and the 1960's Edward Bawden produced the linocut and lithographs for which he is perhaps best known. He produced large prints on Kew Gardens and Brighton; on Liverpool Street Station and a series on the London Markets. Clear and bold and often graphic in design - reflective no doubt of his training in the Design School of the Royal College - they are representative of lino-cutting at its best. Brighton Pier is a great example of this, the first edition of this colour linocut was produced in 1958. Unusually for Edward Bawden a second edition of this print was done in 1970. This print was awarded first prize in the Giles Bequest competition in 1958 for colour prints from linoleum and wood. It is now available from Union Art as a high quality Limited Edition Giclee Print on 310gsm thick 100% cotton rag paper. The artwork is hand numbered and hand embossed.

Edward Bawden's work can be found in a number of public collections, including: British Museum Print Rooms and Victoria & Albert Museum. His full collection of available Limited Edition Prints can be viewed online at Union Art.