Alumna Kerry Harker awarded fellowship to research Maurice de Sausmarez archive
Fine Art alumna Dr Kerry Harker has been appointed as Bridget Riley Art Foundation Fellow at the University of Leeds.
This new fellowship is designed for a researcher to make use of the extensive Maurice de Sausmarez Archive, which was acquired by Special Collections at the University of Leeds in 2019 and catalogued with the support of the Bridget Riley Art Foundation. The archive is now held in Cultural Collections.
Maurice de Sausmarez (1915-69) was an artist, writer and art educator. He played an important role in the establishment of the Department of Fine Art at the University of Leeds (now the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies), becoming its first Head shortly after its foundation by Herbert Read and Bonamy Dobrée in 1949. De Sausmarez held the position until 1959.
Maurice de Sausmarez outside his house on Lombard Street, Rawdon, where he lived during part of his tenure at the University of Leeds. Photo © University of Leeds.
De Sausmarez developed a distinctive pedagogical model which integrated studio practice with histories and theories of art. His influential book Basic Design: The Dynamics of Visual Form (1964) reached a wide international audience and remains in print today.
He was an influential figure for many artists in the second half of the twentieth century. His circle included the art critic and philosopher Sir Herbert Read, the art historian and sociologist Arnold Hauser, pioneering art educators Harry Thubron and Victor Pasmore, in addition to visual artists Bridget Riley, Ben Nicholson, Henry Moore, Naum Gabo, Margaret Benyon and many others.
Exhibition organised by Maurice de Sausmarez in the Parkinson Court, including work by Kenneth Armitage, Hubert Dalwood, Reg Butler and possibly Terry Frost. All were Gregory Fellows at the University during the 1950s and 60s. Photo © University of Leeds.
Dr Kerry Harker is a curator and researcher based in Leeds. She was co-founder (with alumna Pippa Hale) and inaugural Artistic Director of The Tetley centre for contemporary art from 2013-15 and Founder and Artistic Director of the East Leeds Project from 2017-25.
Harker completed her PhD on artist-led initiatives in the UK in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies in 2021.
Maurice de Sausmarez, Whitelocks (1955). Courtesy of Jane de Sausmarez. © Copyright University of Leeds.
Kerry said:
“I’m incredibly excited to take up this new role and to work with this important archive which speaks to art in Britain from the post-war moment through to the close of the 1960s.
“The archive is rich in material that brings this period to life through De Sausmarez’s own writing and his correspondence with artists and art students, alongside catalogues and ephemera relating to the world of exhibitions that he frequented and contributed to.
The archive holds many catalogues for exhibitions that Maurice de Sausmarez took part in, in Leeds and across the region, during his time at the University of Leeds. Photo © University of Leeds.
“I’m particularly thrilled to have the opportunity to surface material in the archive that tells new stories about women’s contributions to this period – as artists and as curators, gallery directors, publishers, educators, collectors and many other roles that support the advancement of art in Britain during this explosive period, in London and in the regions.
“It’s also wonderful to have this opportunity to learn more about Maurice de Sausmarez as an educator who was responsible for setting in motion a distinctive approach to Fine Art teaching here at Leeds that I later experienced as an undergraduate from 1990 to 1994.”
Printed leaflet for the University of Leeds Department of Extra-Mural Studies syllabus of a course of ten university extension lectures by Maurice de Sausmarez, related to the Festival of Britain in 1951. Photo © University of Leeds.
Sarah Prescott (Literary Archivist, Cultural Collections & Galleries, Leeds University Library) said:
“We’re delighted that Kerry has accepted this role.
“The Maurice de Sausmarez archive is of significant research interest. It not only covers an important part of the University’s history, but also shows de Sausmarez much wider networks and influence. These collections show the breadth of his work as both education and artist and offer valuable support for a wide range of research interests.
“We look forward to seeing how Kerry’s research develops and to raising the profile of this collection among researchers around the world.”
More information
Find out about Special Collections and the Maurice de Sausmarez Archive on the Leeds University Libraries website.
Feature image
Material assembled in preparation for art history lectures. Maurice de Sausmarez archive, Cultural Collections, University of Leeds. Photo © Leeds University Galleries.
