Exhibition: Modernism at the Mall

This exhibition tells the story of the Mall Studios, an artists’ enclave in Hampstead where Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, Henry Moore and Herbert Read changed the face of 20th Century British Art.

Tucked away in a quiet alley behind Parkhill Road, a discreet enclave of 19th century purpose-built artists’ studios, became, in its 1930s heyday, the home, workspace and social nexus of Britain’s avant-garde. It was the epicentre of abstract art in England, where the manifesto of British Modernism was written.

Designed by architect Thomas Batterbury, The Mall Studios were built in 1872, funded by the subscriptions of a group of artists, some of whom lived in adjoining houses in Parkhill Road. The studios’ size and form reflected the artists’ desire as “outsiders” to display work, beyond the remit of London’s commercial galleries, which was too large to be considered for the Royal Academy.

During the economic downturn of the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Hampstead's large villas were divided up and their rooms rented out cheaply to artists, and as the political climate darkened across Europe, artistic and intellectual exiles fleeing Nazi persecution, sought refuge in there. It was the perfect microclimate for the development of Modern British Art.

Curated by architect, artist and sculptor, Celia Scott – herself a Mall Studios resident - the Isokon Gallery’s lavishly illustrated exhibition outlines the origins of The Mall Studios and their celebrated residents over 150 years; from the buildings’ construction and first artists; their development as the epicentre of the Modern Movement in London; through to the present day. The display offers both a compelling historical record and a worthy celebration of a unique story in British art and culture.

Ian has Visited - review here.