Events

Symposium on ‘Art from the Second World War’

University of St Andrews, Friday 20 November

A symposium on the theme of ‘Art from the Second World War’ is being hosted by the University of St Andrews to accompany two exciting exhibitions – Recording Britain: Life and Landscape during World War II (MUSA, Museum of the University of St Andrews, 9 May – 6 December 2015) and Recording Scotland (Gateway Galleries, 5 September 2016 to 27 February 2016).

Launched after the outbreak of war in 1939, the Recording Britain Scheme was an artistic documentary project initiated by Sir Kenneth Clark, Director of the National Gallery, and funded by the Pilgrim Trust. The scheme aimed to provide employment for artists during the war and was also founded amid fears about the immediate threat posed to the country’s landscapes and buildings by the potentially devastating impact of aerial bombardment and invasion. Also of concern were changes likely to be wrought by increased industrialisation, motor transport, urban spread and occupational shifts (loss of traditional industries). In 1942 a separate scheme, Recording Scotland, was created as an extension of the Recording Britain Scheme.

The Recording Britain and Recording Scotland exhibitions at the University of St Andrews bring these collections together for the first time in their history, and provide a fascinating insight into ‘war art’ during the Second World War.

The symposium will feature papers exploring the following topics: official and unofficial war artist schemes during the Second World War; the wartime careers of ‘forgotten’ or underrepresented artists; art institutions and collections during the Second World War and post-war period; and the relationship between wartime art and propaganda.

Symposium Pricing:

Standard rate £30, student rate £15 – this includes refreshments during registration, morning break, afternoon break, lunch and a wine reception at MUSA, Museum of the University of St Andrews.

Bookings and Enquiries:

To book online, please visit the University of St Andrews’ Online Payment Services:

http://onlineshop.st-andrews.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&modid=1&deptid=7&catid=219&prodvarid=461

For enquiries, please contact:

Claire Robinson, Collections and Exhibitions Curator, Museum Collections Unit, University of St Andrews, 87 North Street, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9AE

Tel: 01334 461683, Email: cr67@st-andrews.ac.uk