St Ives School

St Ives in West Cornwall, England has long been a place where artists have gathered to create both traditional and modern art work. However, a recurring issue with its artists' groups has been that of inner dissent between the older established artists and the emerging younger artists. The 'Penwith Society of Arts in Cornwall' was founded in 1949 by 19 breakaway members of the 'St Ives Society of Artists' (established 1927), who wanted to change the way the society worked, particularly with regards to the exhibiting rules. This new group of modernists would soon have their own internal battles, with members contesting the merits of Abstraction versus Representation. Steps were taken to break the society into groups: A: figurative artists, B: Abstract artists and C: Craftsmen; however this only served to alienate members who refused to be categorised. Despite internal friction, the Penwith Society continued to grow and flourish with shows in Cornwall and London, as individual artist's reputations grew both nationally and internationally. The members of both societies would reflect on the intensity of working in such close knit and competitive groups, but it was perhaps this drive and ambition that sees the societies still exhibiting today.