|
From lyricism to cubism |
A return to order |
Fry as a designer
Fry as a designer
As well as painting (and writing about painting) Fry was involved in a number of projects which aimed to introduce some of the innovations of contemporary fine art to design.
In 1908 Fry bought a plot of land near Guildford. Here he built, from his own designs, and decorated with the help of his friends, a house which he called Durbins.
This became his main residence until 1919 when financial pressures forced him to sell it.
In 1911 Fry was commissioned to produce murals for Borough Polytechnic
the first of a number of decorative collaborations he worked on throughout his life.
|
Roger Fry working on a mosaic
at his home, Durbins
© Tate Archive, 2003 |
Sketch of a ceramic umbrella stand
in a letter from Roger Fry to
Vanessa Bell © Annabel Cole |
 |
His most notable contribution to the applied arts was the setting up of the Omega Workshops in 1913
which sold decorative furniture and textiles designed by contemporary artists and inspired by Post-Impressionist style.
As well as providing opportunities for fellow artists, Omega gave Fry the chance to develop his own talents as a designer.
Alongside the other artists he designed furniture and textiles and he also began to design and make his own pottery.
Through Omega, Fry also published four books for which he had designed the covers and layout.
He had become interested in book design while at Cambridge where he designed a cover for the Cambridge Review, and later illustrated Robert Trevelyan's book
Polyphemus and other Poems.
During the last ten years of his life he wrote a further eight books, designing and providing illustrations for many of these. |
Book cover for A Sampler
of Castille book
© Annabel Cole |
|
