On Artists and Their Making

Born in 1915, the painter Maurice de Sausmarez was an important figure among mid-20th century British artists and educators. He trained at the Royal College of Art just prior to the Second World War. Part of the circle of Peggy Angus and Barnett Freedman and an active member of the Artists’ International Association, he became a passionate advocate for the beneficial role of art in society and the duty of education to foster individual creativity at every stage of growth. Author of the seminal book Basic Design: The Dynamics of Visual Form, first published in 1964, de Sausmarez was highly respected as an inspirational teacher, and an important participant in national discussions on the organization of art training and education. This book draws together material from both published and unpublished sources including extracts from his books, contributions to specialist journals and newspapers, broadcasts, conferences, lectures and interactions with notable 20th century artists such as Naum Gabo, Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson and Bridget Riley, as well as letters and personal papers from the de Sausmarez family archive. His treatment of the values of art and the processes of its making, as well as the work of individual artists, is presented from a broad and knowledgeable intellectual perspective. This anthology provides a much-needed introduction to de Sausmarez’s writings and makes a pertinent contribution to the current rekindling of interest in art schools and art education as well as the ongoing discourse concerning the creative arts in modern society.--Publisher.