Review: ‘Sussex Modernism’ at Towner Eastbourne
Gallery view of 'Maternity' by Jacob Epstein and 'Day’s Work, Day’s Rest' by Ivon Hitchens. There’s a debate to be had over what the popular imagination of Sussex is. Do we collectively envision quaint villages, bucket-and-spade resort towns, and a general small ‘c’ conservative mentality (just don’t mention rebellious child Brighton)? I’ve long been interested in the pockets of twentieth century modernism that offers a counter to these dominant narratives. The Bloomsbury Group - for whom Sussex became a countryside retreat - are the most obvious example. As is the unmissable international-style alien of the De La Warr Pavilion on the otherwise traditional Bexhill seaside. Quite often my references have associated the county’s history of radical modernism with the broader international movement of the period. Sussex Modernism at Towner offered a deeper insight, contending that the modernists associated with the county purposefully embraced regionalism and provinciality...