1947: Herbert Read: Letter to the Editor of the New Era magazine
Referring to an article by Aitkenhead
Herhert Read (With acknowledgements to Leeds University)
In June 1947 Dr P. Volkov - aka Mrs Volkov and as editor of the New era Magazine at the time - received a letter from the well-known British philosopher, Herbert Read.
Dear Mrs Volkov,
Many thanks for letting me see Mr Aitkenhead’s interesting article. As a matter of fact, I entirely agree with all he says. I even agree with the schoolmaster quoted in the last paragraph. The idea behind the exhibition was, I hope, a good one. But the general standard of art in this country does not enable us to carry out that idea in any effective way. This is my personal opinion, and not for publication, I have promised to write something on the exhibition for the Times Educational Supplement, and it will have to be an exercise in tact. But Mr Aitkenhead has said what I would like to say.’
Yours sincerely,
Herbert Read
The letter transcribed above
Sir Herbert Read (1893 – 1968) was an english art historian, poet, literary critic and philosopher best know for numerous books on art, which included influential volumes on the role of art in education. As well as being a prominent English anarchist, he was one of the earliest English writers to take notice of existentialism.
In the 1953 New Year Honours List he accepted a knighthood for ‘services to literature’, this caused Read to be ostracized by most of the anarchist movement. Read was actively opposed to the Franco regime in Spain, and often campaigned on behalf of political prisoners in Spain.
Read developed a strong interest in the subject of education and particularly art education. Read’s anarchism was influenced by William Godwin, (to whom I will return at a later time – AP), Peter Kropotkin and Max Stirner.
Read ‘became deeply interested in children’s drawings and paintings after having been invited to collect works for an exhibition of British art that would tour allied and neutral countries during the Second World War. As it was considered too risky to transport across the Atlantic works of established importance to the national heritage, it was proposed that children’s drawings and paintings should be sent instead. Read, in making his collection, was unexpectedly moved by the expressive power and emotional content of some of the younger artist’s work.
The experience prompted his special attention to their cultural value, and his engagement of the theory of children’s creativity with seriousness matching his devotion to the avant-garde. This work both changed fundamentally his own life’s work throughout his remaining 25 years and provided education with a rationale of unprecedented lucidity and persuasiveness.
The experience prompted his special attention to their cultural value, and his engagement of the theory of children’s creativity with seriousness matching his devotion to the avant-garde. This work both changed fundamentally his own life’s work throughout his remaining 25 years and provided education with a rationale of unprecedented lucidity and persuasiveness.
John Aitkenhead’s bookshelf included Read’s book Education Through Art (1943)
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