The Front

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Artist/Maker

Artists' International Association (publisher)

John Piper (artist)

The AIA was formed in London, 1933, by a group of left-leaning artists under the banner 'Unity of Artists for Peace, Democracy and Cultural Development'. Clifford Rowe, Pearl Binder and Misha Black were central in its creation and development. Their primary goal was to exhibit and make socially conscious art more affordable to the masses. Initially known as 'The International Unity of Artists against Imperialist War on the Soviet Union, Fascism and Colonial Oppression', they launched a series of large group exhibitions on political themes beginning in 1935 with 'Artists Against Fascism and War'. They were also involved in public murals and in 1940 created this set of 52 mass-produced offset lithographs entitled Everyman Prints, 'intended for every home'.

Object details

Categories	Prints Printmaking Techniques
Object type	Print
Titles	The Front (popular title) No.52 of Everyman Prints (series title)
Materials and techniques	Colour lithograph Paper Colour Lithograph
Brief description	Colour lithograph by John Piper for "The Front" No.52 of the Everyman Prints, part of the series of lithographs made by the A I A
Physical description	Colour lithograph for "The Front" No.52 of the Everyman Prints series of lithographs made by the Artists' International Association (A I A)
Dimensions	Height: 313.26mm (Note: Taken from the micromedia pdf catalogue and on image of REG. found on CMS) Width: 209.55mm (Note: Taken from the micromedia pdf catalogue and on image of REG. found on CMS)
Marks and inscriptions	Signed 'John Piper' & inscribed in pencil with the title and the artist's name (Lettered with ' A I A Everyman Prints')
Credit line	Given by the Artists' International Association
Summary	The AIA was formed in London, 1933, by a group of left-leaning artists under the banner 'Unity of Artists for Peace, Democracy and Cultural Development'. Clifford Rowe, Pearl Binder and Misha Black were central in its creation and development. Their primary goal was to exhibit and make socially conscious art more affordable to the masses. Initially known as 'The International Unity of Artists against Imperialist War on the Soviet Union, Fascism and Colonial Oppression', they launched a series of large group exhibitions on political themes beginning in 1935 with 'Artists Against Fascism and War'. They were also involved in public murals and in 1940 created this set of 52 mass-produced offset lithographs entitled Everyman Prints, 'intended for every home'.
Associated objects	e.2211-1948 (Source) e.2212-1948 (Source) e.2213-1948 (Source) e.2214-1948 (Source) e.2215-1948 (Source) e.2216-1948 (Source) e.2217-1948 (Source) e.2218-1948 (Source) e.2219-1948 (Source) e.2220-1948 (Source) e.2221-1948 (Source) e.2222-1948 (Source) e.2223-1948 (Source) e.2224-1948 (Source) e.2225-1948 (Source) e.2226-1948 (Source) e.2227-1948 (Source) e.2228-1948 (Source) e.2229-1948 (Source) e.2230-1948 (Source) e.2231-1948 (Source) e.2232-1948 (Source) e.2233-1948 (Source) e.2234-1948 (Source) e.2235-1948 (Source) e.2236-1948 (Source) e.2237-1948 (Source) e.2238-1948 (Source) e.2239-1948 (Source) e.2240-1948 (Source) e.2241-1948 (Source) e.2242-1948 (Source) e.2243-1948 (Source) e.2244-1948 (Source) e.2245-1948 (Source) e.2246-1948 (Source) e.2247-1948 (Source) e.2248-1948 (Source) e.2249-1948 (Source) e.2250-1948 (Source) e.2251-1948 (Source) e.2252-1948 (Source) e.2253-1948 (Source) e.2254-1948 (Source) e.2255-1948 (Source) e.2256-1948 (Source) e.2257-1948 (Source) e.2258-1948 (Source) e.2259-1948 (Source) e.2260-1948 (Source) e.2261-1948 (Source) e.2262-1948 (Source)
Bibliographic references	Taken from the micromedia pdf catalogue and on image of REG. found on CMS The following extract is from 'Art for a purpose : the Artists' International Association, 1933-1953' by Radford, Robert, p.120. Published by the Winchester School of Art Press, 1987: 'In an effort to circumvent the seemingly intractable problem of the high unit cost of the artist’s production, the AIA brought out the ‘Everyman Print’ series, reproduced by offset lithography from plates worked on directly by the artist, which could be sold at mass production prices.’ Comparisons were drawn with earlier occasions on which popular print editions had satisfied the demands for low cost without any consequent sacrifice of artistic quality, the work of the English C18th caricaturists, the lithographs of Daumier and the woodblock prints of Hokusai being mentioned as honourable precedents. As if to demonstrate the added bonus of today’s bargain, it was pointed out that Hogarth’s Cruelty in Perfection was issued in 1750 at what was then an unusually low price of one shilling.’ The ‘Everyman Print’ series ran to 52 titles, of which ten were in two colours and the rest in monochrome. They were priced at 1/6d (7'/,p) for the coloured and 1/- (5p) for the plain, and special care was given to the question of pro- motion and distribution, with simultaneous opening exhibitions in London, Bristol and Durham and a touring exhibition for smaller locations such as Luton, Winchester and the Mid-Rhondda. In order to overcome the uninviting associations of the conventional art gallery, it was felt that any new public would have to be courted in its own familiar territory and arrangements were made with Marks & Spencers to retail the prints over the counter of a number of selected stores. The ubiquitous Sir Kenneth Clark revealed his full support for this venture when he opened the introductory exhibition for the scheme at the Picture Hire Gallery, in London: "[The prints] appear to be the first concrete solution to a problem which has always seemed insoluble; how patronage of art by the people could be possible in a way which fitted with the conditions that had developed during the last hundred years. The problem of how many people could have works of art as private possessions at a cost which everyone could afford was partly solved by reproductions. But reproductions always have the same effect, they go dead on one. This shows the importance of people being able to buy direct works of art."'
Collection	Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number	E.2262-1948

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Record created	June 30, 2009
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O599676/the-front-print-john-piper/

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