The Gale (1930) by Sybil Andrews
– Basic information about the artist.
Sybil Andrews was born in 1898 and had been painting since she was a child. Andrews worked as a secretary at the Grosvenor School of Modern Art where she started to produce linocuts – following the teaching of Claude Flight. He also introduced her to Futurism, a strong influence on Andrews and her peers. Cyril Power and Andrews jointly designed posters for the London Passenger Transport Board from 1929 to 1937, promoting the use of the system under the pseudonym “Andrew-Power”.
She married her husband Walter Morgan 1943 and emigrated to Canada in 1947 where they settled in Campbell River, where her work was well-received. In 1951 Andrews was elected to the Society of Canadian Painters. In 1985 she published her book, ‘Artist’s Kitchen’. She worked as a teacher and practised as an artist, living in Canada until her death in 1992.
Source used is here – https://www.redfern-gallery.com/artists/27-sybil-andrews/
–A description of the work you selected.
“The Gale” is likely set in a town or city where nature is shown as powerful and dramatic through the winds and rain represented by the swirling blue forms and dotted lines; we also see the figures’ stances curve as they brace against the force of the winds. However, the rain is something that the two figures seem to have adapted to. Despite the dramatic weather, the people appear to be more annoyed walking through the rain than endangered or awestruck. They are anchored by heavy black shoes, and are almost hidden by their umbrellas, which emphasize their curved postures. They also appear to be walking on top of a sphere, which represents the ground.
–An analysis of how this work reflects the aesthetic preferences associated with Modernism.
This work reflects the aesthetic preferences associated with modernism as it is not like any other traditional or classical painting I’ve seen, with no realistic depiction of people. It plays with shapes and colors. Last, the technique of linocut on Japanese paper (something I’d never heard of before) places an emphasis on the materials and technique used to achieve the final product.
–A description of the context in which you encountered the work.
I found the work hanging in a modernist collection that was being exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
–An explanation of what drew you to this piece.
It was one of the few works hanging where the artist had incorporated color, so that is what drew me to it initially. I also liked that the figures depicted in the drawing were reminiscent of crescent moons, as it is one of my favorite shapes, and the only other color incorporated in the drawing (besides black and white) is blue, which is one of my favorite colors. The blue and black, along with the swirls in the background make the figures look like they are part of a night sky.
–Any questions you have about the work.
I wonder if this work is a part of the posters Andrews created for the London transport system, or if it was created out of another source of inspiration. I also wonder if she was inspired by the night sky, as this is a lot of what I see in the drawing.
I’m not familiar with this artist, so I am grateful to you for bringing her to our attention. I love that this was created as a design for a poster in the London transit system. Some Modernists were elitists, but there were just as many who were interested in public works and more specifically in the idea of creating something that would be reproduced in large numbers and hung everywhere, rather than “precious” objects created for museums or collectors. The feeling of movement in the print is quite modern to me!