John Banting : Britain's Original Surrealist

This book recognises British artist John Banting as an important figure in Surrealism, from Paris to London and New York.  This exciting book explores how British Surrealist John Banting (1902-1972) became an important figure from Paris in the 1920s, where he was championed by Marcel Duchamp. It follows his life to London in 1930s, where he was taken up by The Bloomsbury Group as a portrait painter, muralist and designer of book covers for Virginia Woolf. In the 1940s, he made films with Dylan Thomas. The story follows Surrealism from its genesis in Paris to London and New York through John Banting, artist, designer, film maker and political activist. Fellow artist Julian Trevelyan remarked that Surrealism for John Banting was ‘not just a way of painting but a way of living.’ Art critic Richard Shone described Banting as ‘a dancer, demonstrator and designer who refused to clip the wings of his imagination.’ John Banting: Britian’s Original Surrealist features letters and diaries from the Tate Archive. It is fully illustrated with images of Banting’s wide-ranging works.