Cobbett’s Wey DFAS the Farnham evening society
October
2010
Lecture
Omega & Charleston: Bloomsbury
Decorative Arts
Cobbett’s Wey Decorative and Fine Arts (Farnham’s Evening) Society
enjoyed an insight into the importance of the ‘Bloomsbury Group’ at
their meeting on Wednesday 27th October. Mrs Sandra Pollard BA MA, a
lecturer for over 35 years at Leeds University School of Continuing
Education and currently working with the Open University and as an
adviser to the National Trust, The Art Fund and WEA, gave an interesting
and informative talk about the formation of the group and its influence
in the country.
A few friends attending Cambridge University towards the end of the
nineteenth century formed a group to discuss the issues of the day. A
key player in the group was Toby Stephen who introduced his two sisters,
Virginia and Vanessa, to his fellow companions, including Lytton
Strachey, Leonard Woolf and Clive Bell. This remarkable collection of
writers, philosophers and intellectuals met to develop new thinking,
pursue their dreams and have fun. Through their connections they were
joined by other free thinkers; John Maynard Keynes, the economist, E.M.
Forster, the novelist, Roger Fry, a critic of art and literature, and
Duncan Grant, the artist. Roger was able to set up the Omega Workshops
Ltd. at 33 Fitzroy Square and this had a studio downstairs with
workshops above.
The workshop introduced many young artists to experimentation with form
and colour working, not only on canvas but on furniture, fabric and
other artefacts. This was a revolution in thinking after the rather
stuffy Victorian years.
As well as expressing dissatisfaction with capitalism and its wars of
imperialism, the groups ‘free thinking’ encompassed love, sexual
inequality, monogamy and child rearing leading to unconventional
partnerships and family groupings. Virginia Stephen married Leonard
Woolf but also enjoyed a long term relationship with Vita Sackville-West
(not one of the Bloomsbury Group).
Vanessa married Clive Bell but also lived with Duncan Grant at
Charleston Farmhouse, bearing him a daughter. Francis Partridge likened
them to forming triangles and living in squares.
The Bloomsbury Group were best known between the two World Wars – a few
had been conscientious objectors in the Great War – perhaps because the
country was looking for new beginnings - and again in the 1960’s
possibly for the same reason when important biographies were written
about their lives
Sandra showed illustrations of much of the group’s work and completed
her lecture with pictures of Charleston Farmhouse at Lewes in Sussex,
which showed every nook and cranny and artefact painted! A visit to the
farmhouse by the society was strongly recommended.
CWDFAS
is a member of NADFAS
