A major exhibition of the work of one of the key figures of British Modernism opens this September at the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art in North London.
The Poster King: Edward McKnight Kauffer will exhibit 50 works of the pioneering graphic designer and illustrator.
Kauffer (1890–1954) was born in the USA but is one of the key figures of British modernism. During the early 20th century he created some of Britain’s most iconic and influential commercial imagery. He is most famous for the posters for London Underground and Shell that he created during the years he spent in England.
The exhibition will provide an overview of his career, focusing on his time in England (1914–40), and include some lesser-known early pieces reflecting the aesthetics of Vorticism, Cubism and Futurism. The exhibition includes a collection of Kauffer-related ephemera including letters, sketches and photographs.
Kauffer took the name McKnight as a tribute to Prof. Joseph E. McKnight of the University of Utah, who recognised the young man’s talent and, in 1912, offered to fund his studies
The Estorick is in Islington in North London, near Highbury and Islington underground and overground station. The gallery has a permanent exhibition of 120 paintings, drawings, watercolours, prints and sculptures by many of the most prominent Italian artists of the Modernist era. It is open Wed–Sat 11am–6pm (Thu 8pm), Sun noon–5pm, admission £5, concessions £3.50, under-16s free. The Poster King: Edward McKnight Kauffer runs from 14 September to 18 December.
Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art, 39a Canonbury Square, London N1 2AN
Tel: +44 20 7704 9522
Website: www.estorickcollection.com
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