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Article: ART
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- October 9, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1994 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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THE SUBJECT of Richard Cork's exhibition - and of his book, A
Bitter Truth: Avant-Garde Art and the Great War - is so harrowing
that no one should expect a happy expedition to the Barbican Art
Gallery. I didn't find a single work there that lifted the spirits,
though there are plenty of paintings and sculptures that are moving
in other ways.
The show must be seen, however, and I expect that its visitors
will go in homage to those who fought and fell. It's not clear how
much it adds to our total understanding of the war. For the most
part the exhibition is a succession of dark moments in the lives of
terrified or outraged artists. A larger picture isn't apparent. The
show does try to divide ...