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The Goren Committee's Report
MIU unsatisfactory relations between art and industry in this 'country have been analysed and examined on this page more than once in the past few months. Any who may have felt that the subject was being treated too seriously would be well advised to read the report Of Lord Gorell's Committee on 'Art and larlusiry, published by the. Stationery Office, price one shilling. Limited by the terms of their appointment to adVising on the desirability of organizing various exhibitions "of articles of every-day use and good design of current manufacture," on the constitution of a central body to arrange these, on the amount of expenditure likely to be involved and the sources from which it should be provided, the Committee wisely exceed the letter of these instructions in their excellent and most readable report.
After a brief historical review of the subject from 1754 to the present time, they state : " We cannot, however, conceal from ourselves that the mere organization of Exhibitions of this-type is incapable, by itself, of solving the vital problem (the urgency of which has, we assume, led to the appointment of this Committee) how best to raise the level of Industrial Art in the United Kingdom." That this level stands in dire need of raising they leave us in no doubt, nor are they blind to the very great difficulties in the way of raising it. There must be 'a concurrent national effort to improve the design and quality of the products exhibited "—at present "the current output of products sufficiently beautiful to be included in a National Exhibition is insufficient to supply the stream of fresh material that would be required." Early among their recommendations comes a call for "the improvement of the training of all who participate, whether as designers, manu- facturers, craftsmen, or wholesale and retail buyers and sellers, in the creation and distribution of products of Indus- trial Art," and for attention to the all-important question of education in schools of every sort : "We are impressed by the freshness, spontaneity and inventiveness of young children in the matter of design, and with the results that can be obtained by training and developing these faculties under a sympathetic and understanding 'teacher." From which we may assume that the average Englishman's taste is poor, not by nature, but by training.
The Committee's principal recommendation is for the ap- pointment of a Central Body, in close association with the Board of Overseas Trade, to organize Periodic Exhibitions in London (until such time as there is sufficient improvement to warrant the establishment of a Standing Exhibition with constantly changing exhibits), occasional Special Exhibitions in London and elsewhere, and, later, Exhibitions abroad and
Travelling Exhibitions. If the present relations between Art and Industry in this country were normal and healthy," we read, we might perhaps stop at this point, confident that if a sound and adequate service of art schools and of Industrial Art Exhibitions be provided, the interests concerned will them- selves do the rest. Unfortunately, experience shows that, in existing conditions, such confidence would be misplaced, and that the gap between art teaching and trade practice in many industries is too wide to be bridged in this manner. We are therefore convinced that a preliminary condition sine qua non of the successful functioning of the organization which we propose to set up is the carrying out of a well-planned scheme of Industrial Art research." With some of the difficulties confronting this, and the means by which they may be over- come I shall deal next week. In the meantime, it should be noted that the -Whole scheme recommended by the Com- mittee can be put into effect at a cost of no more than 110,000 a year. Since its return within a few years would be ines- timably greater—both in cash and comfort—it would be a thousand pities if such a sum should not be forthcoming. "In the event of public moneys not being made available . . . the best hope would seem to lie in the generosity of some far-seeing reformer with great public spirit and with the requisite funds at his command." May he, or she, be found.
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