The Independent Group

The independent Group: Modernism and mass culture in Britain, 1945-59

Ann Massey

The Independent group was largely formed as a subcommittee of students at the Institute of Contemporary Art. They were students (?)

-      A popular book at the time was Growth and Form by D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson

-      Nigel Henderson and Richard Hamilton wanted to use it as a basis for an exhibition

-      At the first subcommittee meeting a group of young members wished to organize lectures for themselves. For convenience sake they were called the ‘young group’

-      Some of the earliest works we have from the IG were Eduardo Paolozzi’s photocollages, like Dr. Pepper, 1948

-      IG drew heavily from constructivist ideas

-      The group disbanded and went through a couple different leaders until Banham became the head of the group.

-      Banham suggested that fine art could no longer function in its traditional form, and must acknowledge the impact of mechanization. Science, technology, and the history of design formed the focus of the IG from 1952-53. Banham had written a thesis about design and futurism and was greatly inspired by it.

-      Dorothy Morland referred to the group as ‘our young independent group’ and eventually ‘young’ was dropped

-      Banham described the fifties as ‘the jet age, the detergent decade, the second industrial revolution.’

-      Richard Hamilton did a series called Transition that represented the view of the landscape while on a train

-      Group was interested in new popular culture and mass culture, establishing the term pop art

-      Amid this there was rampant hatred of ‘american pop culture’ items like comic books, movies, etc. things that the IG loved.

-      This is Tomorrow was a successful art exhibit that had a major impact. Widely well received. 12 of the 36 artists were ex-Independent Group members.

-      The spaces on the patio and pavilion seem in contrast with the pop environment created by Hamilton, Voelcker, and John McHale. Both however are aimed to create a total, symbolic environment.