Marx and Sparks! Enid Marx: Pattern, Popular Art and Modern Design

Art historian and writer Alan Powers on the life and work of the remarkable designer, printmaker, illustrator and collector Enid Marx. Join Alan Powers, art historian and writer, for an illustrated talk about the life and work of the remarkable designer, printmaker, illustrator and collector Enid Marx. Marx worked across textiles, book illustration, industrial design, printmaking and popular art. Best known for her woven designs for London Underground seat upholstery, she also created hand-blocked fabrics, wallpapers, book jackets, stamps, laminates and ceramics, bringing together modern design, folk traditions and a lively sense of pattern. Her work combined originality with a strong belief in the social purpose of design. Marx studied under Paul Nash and counted Edward Bawden, Barnett Freedman and Eric Ravilious among her friends. She later taught, among others, the future pop artist Sir Peter Blake. Alongside her creative work, Marx developed an important collection of folk and popular art with her friend Margaret Lambert. Drawing on his book Enid Marx: The Pleasures of Pattern, Alan Powers will explore Marx’s extraordinary career and the rich network of artists, designers and makers of which she was a part.