1886-1957. English writer and artist who
pioneered Vorticism, which with its feeling
of movement sought to reflect the age of
industry. He had a hard and aggressive style
in both his writing and his painting. His
literary works include the novels Tarr 1918
and The Childermass 1928, the essay Time and
Western Man 1927, and autobiographies. Born
off Maine, in his father's yacht, he was
educated at the Slade art school and in
Paris. On returning to England he pioneered
the new spirit of art that his friend Ezra
Pound called Vorticism; he also edited Blast,
a literary and artistic magazine proclaiming
its principles. Of his paintings, his
portraits are memorable, such as those of
Edith Sitwell and T S Eliot. Although he has
been assessed by some as a leading force of
the early 20th century, his support in the
1930s of Fascist principles and Hitler
alienated most critics.