Williamson

© Beth Williamson 2008
disciplines, a new creativity emerged that displayed an inventiveness and
originality.
Johnstone’s strategy to reinvigorate art education at the Central School was
assisted by the engagement of many young artists who would themselves later
become central figures in the development of British art education — Victor
Pasmore was one of these. Pasmore had previously worked for Johnstone at
Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts where he was greatly admired and his
contribution to the 1959 exhibition ‘The Developing Process’ at the Institute of
Contemporary Arts in London was instrumental in moving British art education
forward. The exhibition documented art educational approaches reflecting
Bauhaus influence, where emphasis was on the dynamic, open-ended nature of
training. The exhibition opened on 29 April 1959 and closed the following month
after a short run. Despite its London venue, the show had been conceived at
King’s College at the University of Durham, where the progressive Department
of Fine Art was lead by Pasmore. The other organisers were Richard Hamilton,
also based at Durham, and Harry Thubron and Tom Hudson, both of whom
were doing groundbreaking work at Leeds College of Art. Whilst initially
enthusiastic about the exhibition, Thubron became less so as plans developed.
The demand for clear definition of purpose and meaning which Hudson and
Hamilton wanted to demonstrate through the exhibition was resisted by
Thubron. 21 His concern was that this would ‘lead to system and curriculum, and
the essence of open-ended exploration would be lost.’ 22
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