Decorating the Welfare State – Murals in Britain 1940-1990
The impulse to put art in public places flourished during the Second World War and continued during post-war reconstruction, the proliferation of outdoor murals in the 1980s and the theatrical interior decoration of private houses.
About the speaker: Alan Powers
Following a degree in History of Art from Cambridge, Alan received his doctorate on Architectural Education in Britain 1880-1914. He is a prolific writer for magazines and author of numerous books. He is joint editor of the journal Twentieth Century Architecture and joint editor of the monograph series, Twentieth Century Architects. He has curated popular exhibitions, including Modern Britain 1929-39 (Design Museum), 1999; Eric Ravilious (Imperial War Museum), 2003; and Eros to the Ritz: 100 Years of Street Architecture (Royal Academy), 2013.
As professor of architecture and cultural history at the University of Greenwich, Alan taught architectural history and theory for undergraduate and diploma courses from 1999-2012, and has been a frequent external examiner for PhD and other higher degrees. He is chairman of Pollock’s Toy Museum Trust in London, and former chair of the Twentieth Century Society (2007-12). An expert on 20th-century architecture, Alan was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2008.
This lecture is part of our Inspired By Bawden lecture series.