Unit One

Peu connu, ce groupe d'artistes est pourtant essentiel dans la circulation de l'art abstrait et géométrique sur le sol anglais. Unit One, organisé par Paul Nash, réunit à partir de 1933 Ben Nicholson, Edward Wadsworth, Frances Hodgkin pour la peinture ; Henry Moore et Barbara Hepworth pour la sculpture ; Wells Coats pour l'architecture. Le lancement du groupe est annoncé à la presse le 12 juin 1933 et repris par les journaux en date du 28 et du 30 juin 1933.
L'approche du groupe, outre qu'il s'agit d'unir peinture, sculpture et architecture, assure la synthèse entre Abstraction et Surréalisme. Cet ensemble d'artistes est rejoint par d'autres membres lors de l'organisation de la seule et unique exposition qui se tiendra à la Mayor Gallery la même année.

Affiche exposition Unit One, 1933
Principales expositions

Unit One, The Mayor Gallery, Londres, 10-30 avril 1934.

Textes fondateurs
Western morning news Friday 30 June 1933.

Great things are expected of "Unit One. The new group of artists -painters, sculptors, and architects- formed in London. With exhibition headquarters of our newest galleries they may do much to change the trend of English art and shorten the timely which exists between execution and appreciation. Mr. Paul Nash, Mr. Edward Wadsworth, Mr. Ben Nicholson, Miss Frances Hodgkin, Mr. Henry Moore and Miss Barbara Hepworth are among the members of the group which will remain small, and refuse the temptation to sprawl with inchoate size, like the new English Art Club or the London Group.
All are artists of fine achievement, and one of them, Mr. Henry Moore may prove the finest sculptor we have ever had sin England. II gather that the group may do more than exhibit together. There is some talk of communal publications, which would be excellent. Abroad books of reproductions of the work of contemporary artists have done much to make their work known and admired. Not all of us can be in London at the right moment for the right shows.

Yorkshire Post, 28 juin 1933 - Unit One

Extraordinary interest is being taken in London in the foundation and fortunes of "Unit. One", the new group of artists made up by a select number including Mr. Paul Nash, Mr. Ben Nicholson, Mr. Edward Wadsworth, Miss Frances Hodgkin, among the painters, with sculpture represented by Mr. Henry Moore and Miss Barbara Hepworth, ans architecture by Mr. Wells Coates and another. In the group are thus joined all the arts of material construction at the high level of their contemporary expression in England.
I feel that Yorkshire should have pride in "Unit One". Mr. Moore, Miss Hepworth, and Mr Wadsworth all come from Yorkshire and have found stimulus in Northern industrial life. Professor Herbert Read, another Yorkshireman, and the greatest critical authority we have in England on contemporary art, its certain to do the group good interpretive service.
Coincidentally its headquarters, the Mayor gallery in Cork Street, are controlled by a Yorkshireman. Mr. Mayors father was Frederick Mayor, the Yorkshire artist. His gallery shows its inclination by its fine present show of paintings by Max Ernst, who is painter first and "surrealist" second. Its rooms are architecturally of our day and will show off well the exhibitions of "Unit One".

Artistes associés

John Armstrong, John Bigge, Edward Burra, Wells Coates, Frances Hodgkin, Barbara Hepworth, Tristram Hillier, Colin Lucas, Henry Moore, Paul Nash, Ben Nicholson, Edward Wadsworth.

Courant, mouvement, lieu à rapprocher

New English Art Club, London Group.