Walter Claude Flight (born London 16 February 1881 - died Donhead St Andrew 10 October 1955) also known as Claude Flight or W. Claude Flight was a British artist who pioneered and popularised the linoleum cut technique. He also painted, illustrated and made wood cuts. He was the son of Walter Flight. Flight was a fervent promoter of the linoleum cut technique from the time he first used it in 1919. He felt by promoting the use of the cheap and easily obtained new material he was making it possible for the masses to be exposed to art. He saw in it the potentiality of a truly democratic art form. Flight had tried a number of different careers before settling on art. He had kept bees, farmed and also had tried engineering before studying art at Heatherley School of Fine Art from 1913–1914 and from 1918. Flight exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1921, in Paris in 1922 and in London at the R.B.A. from 1923. He also exhibited regularly at the Redfern Gallery and abroad. Flight was a member of the Seven and Five Society in 1923 whose members included

Henry Moore Henry Spencer Moore (30 July 1898 – 31 August 1986) was an English artist. He is best known for his semi-abstract art, abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art. As well as sculpture, Mo ...

, Ben Nicholson and

Barbara Hepworth Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth (10 January 1903 – 20 May 1975) was an English artist and sculptor. Her work exemplifies Modernism and in particular modern sculpture. Along with artists such as Ben Nicholson and Naum Gabo, Hepworth was a lea ...

. He was a member of the Grubb Group in 1928. He collaborated with

Edith Lawrence Edith Mary Lawrence (22 March 1890 – 2 October 1973) was a British artist known for her landscape and portrait paintings, her colour linocuts and her textile designs. Biography Lawrence was born in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey and was ...

with whom he had an interior design business, taught at the Grosvenor School of Modern Art from 1926 and wrote and organized exhibitions on linocuts. His pupils included various now-famous print artists such as

Lill Tschudi Lill Tschudi (2 September 1911 – 19 September 2004) was a Swiss artist associated with the Grosvenor School of Modern Art. Early life and education Lill Tschudi was born at Schwanden, Glarus, Switzerland. As a girl she saw an exhibit of li ...

, Cyril Power, Eileen Mayo and Sybil Andrews. Influenced by Cubism, Futurism and Vorticism, his work expressed dynamic rhythm through bold, simple forms. His linocut prints show his interest in depicting speed and movement. He produced over 64 different prints and published 9 books on linocutting.

List of works

''Seaside Cove''
watercolour on paper *''On a Backwater'' watercolour, black and coloured crayon
''Beach Scene''
watercolour on paper
''Park''
1922 watercolour and chalk on paper *''Policeman holding up Traffic'' linocut
''Speed''
c. 1922 Edition: 50
''The Paris Omnibus''
1923 Edition: 50
''Swing Boats''
c. 1924 Edition: 50

1924 Edition: 50

c. 1925 Edition: 50
''Summer''
c. 1926 Edition: 50
''Summer, Four Seasons''
c. 1926 *''Descent from the Bus'' 1927 Edition:
''Brooklands''
1929 Edition: 50
''Persuasion''
c. 1930 Edition: 50 *''Love on Ice'' 1930 Edition: 50

c. 1931 Edition:50
''The Conjurer''
c. 1933 Edition: 50

c. 1934 Edition: 50 This print resulted from a Swiss summer holiday made by Flight and Edith Lawrence in 1933. They stayed as guests of

at her family home in Schwanden. *Boo
''Animal Vegetable or Mineral''
Published by Oxford University Press, London *Boo

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Flight, Claude 1881 births 1955 deaths Artists from London