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Concrete Poetry: Post-War Modernist Public Art
By Simon Phipps
A photographic exploration and celebration of Britain’s post-war public art.
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A visual journey through the public sculpture, art and architecture of Modernist Britain.
At the end of the Second World War, Britain’s cities and communities desperately needed rebuilding. As new houses and public spaces were planned, communal engagement was considered to be vital to social recovery. Public art was thought to provide the means to create this engagement.
This era of post-war progressive civic architecture and art gave rise to some of the UK’s most important pieces of public art. From Richard Serra’s Fulcrum in London’s Broadgate to Barbara Hepworth’s works across the country, to the less well-known Cumisky mural in Skelmersdale and the vivid Schottlander shapes in Warwick, these works of art have become familiar companions; backdrops to British lives.
There is an urgency to catalogue these works, as much of Britain’s Modernist public art is at risk – not to mention that which has already been removed, vandalised or left to crumble. In Concrete Poetry, Simon Phipps photographs, explores and celebrates Britain’s post-war public art, placing it in context and considering its future. Complete with incredible photography, an introduction by Phipps, an essay by Darren Umney and detailed captions, Concrete Poetry honours not only of the artworks themselves, but also the community spirit of the age from which they came.
Simon Phipps is a photographer and the creator of the New Brutalism collection of photography on Tumblr, Instagram and Twitter. He is a graduate in sculpture from The Royal College of Art. He grew up in Milton Keynes where his parents were architects involved in the design of the city. He has forthcoming exhibitions of his photography at the Foundry Gallery and The Architectural Association.
September Publishing
September Publishing is an independent publisher of an award-winning list of illustrated and non-fiction books. Founder, Hannah MacDonald started September Publishing in 2014, following a twenty-year career in publishing at Andre Deutsch, Random House and HarperCollins, as well as writing two of her own novels. She specialises in a creative approach to shaping books with debut authors, brands and personalities, and has published multiple top ten bestsellers across memoir, media, sport, history categories. Starting an independent publisher was a natural extension of a life-long, escapist pleasure in buying, reading and – above all – sharing good books.
September focus on books that will expand readers’ worlds, either feeding passionately held interests or inspiring new journeys in literature and art. From the very beginning the publishing house has a clear mission: to be a fair-share publisher. They are determined to ensure that authors receive a fair share in the sales of their books. September are also unusual in that they prioritise creative collaboration – work with the best creatives and consultants.
The September team have always worked remotely, meaning a consistent team and a business whose profits are funnelled back into the books, not into expensive overheads. Since 2014 they have worked alongside some of the most renowned designers in the UK, developed fine new talent via their intern programme, and built careers and long-term publishing programmes with new literary writers, artists and subject experts.
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