Accidental Alchemy: Oliver Simon, Signature Magazine, and the rise of British Neo-Romantic Art

The influential periodical Signature played a significant role in stimulating British neo-romanticism in the mid-20th century, thanks to its editor, publisher, patron, and printer, Oliver Simon. The artists who contributed to Signature were fellow travelers on a journey, having mastered graphic techniques for applied purposes before applying them to their own artwork.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 28 February 2022
Publisher: Unicorn Publishing Group

The significant influence of the periodical Signature on fine art has long been overlooked. While few people nowadays will have read it, no journal has greater claim to have stimulated the taste that became British neo-romanticism in the mid-20th century. Oliver Simon, its editor, publisher, patron, and printer, was something of an enigma. Although shy, he somehow knew everyone in the London literary and arts scene during the 1930s and 40s. So outwardly conservative to be dubbed the archbishop by Ben Nicholson, Oliver elicited adventurous art from his artist contributors to Signature. The Signature artists were fellow travelers on a journey: young artists working in commercial art to pay the bills. Having mastered graphic techniques for applied purposes, they then began to apply what they learned to their own artwork. Then they went off to War.

Those interested in the work of Paul Nash, John Piper, Graham Sutherland, Edward Bawden, and Barnett Freedman will enjoy the story of the influence and fellowship of Oliver Simon, Signature, and the Curwen Press on their art.

Dimension: 240 x 196 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781914414343