Proposal JP
H ITTING T HE N AIL ON T HE H EAD: THE C OMPLETE W RITINGS O F J OHN P IPER Prepared for: Eloise Chapman, Head of Collections and Exhibitions Prepared by: Orde Levinson, Author Campbell Martin, Editor 7 December 2015 Private and Confidential; For RRM Board Members Only ! /!6 1
CONTENTS
PROJECT SUMMARY
3
BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES AND WIDER RELEVANCE
TIMELINE AND COSTS
4
ROADMAP BUDGET
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND PERMISSIONS
6
! /!6 2
PROJECT SUMMARY Background John Piper is widely considered to be one of the most important and versatile British artists of the 20th Century. Born in 1903 it initially seemed likely that he would follow his fathers footsteps and join the family law firm, however — after the death of his father — Piper began pursuing his interest in art. He completed courses at the Richmond School of Art and later went on to study at the Royal College of Art where he studied painting and stained glass. Shortly after leaving the RCA Piper exhibited his work both on his own and with others such as the London Group. During this time he began writing reviews and criticisms in order to supplement his income, this writing work was very well received and brought him to the attention of the 7&5 Society of which he soon became secretary. Along with artists such as Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, and Henry Moore, John Piper changed the society into a modernist institution and helped pioneer the British abstract movement. Although Piper had made important contributions to abstract art, he chose to adopt a more naturalistic approach, concentrating on typical British landscapes and architecture, especially ecclesiastical buildings or historical ruins. After his work as an official World War II war painter, Piper had become a well known public figure with an established and recognisable style. While he experimented with many different mediums and techniques, including several famous stained glass pieces, his work is characterised by rich passages of colour, calligraphic lines, and highly textural qualities. In the late 1930s John and his wife Myfanwy Piper bought a property south of Henley-on-Thames and became an important figure around Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire where he lived, worked, and wrote prolifically until his death in 1992. While John Piper is rightly considered to be one of the most important British artists of the 20th century, his role as a versatile art critic, theorist, and commentator is often overlooked. As such, we believe that a ‘Complete Writings’ which catalogues all known writings by Piper is long overdue and will be an invaluable resource for researchers, art historians, and all those interested in British art. This project was started several years ago by Orde Levinson, an Oxford based artist, author, and friend of John Piper who has previously published books on Piper’s art as well as on a range of other topics. Through his research Orde has managed to bring together over 600 written works by John Piper, including many previously unpublished pieces including personal communications, drafts, and interviews. We are pleased to say, the project has now moved into its final stages which will generally focus on indexing and reformatting Piper’s work, and finalising introductory essays. As an expert on John Piper and author of this project, Orde Levinson will write the introductory chapter of this book, we are also in contact with several leading experts to make essay contributions.
! /!6 3
Objectives and Wider Relevance Although this project may seem particularly broad and complex, our aims can be broken down into four simple points: I.
To display and bring attention to the quality and breadth of John Piper’s writings.
II. To systematically catalogue and reproduce all known written works by John Piper. III. To add to current knowledge by bringing to light previously unpublished works and pairing them with newly written introductions, criticisms, and essays. IV. To create a single, accessible resource for researchers and all those interested in British art. The impact that the this publication will have for those researching Piper and his influence on the history of British art should not be understated, not only as a standalone resource but also as a companion piece to upcoming Piper exhibitions with original writings available for loan. The publication also has a wider importance, as a long time resident of Fawley Bottom farm house, just outside Henley-on-Thames, John Piper drew much inspiration from and even wrote about both the surrounding area and Oxfordshire generally. These writings, which span his 60 year career, provide valuable insight into local history; how social attitudes and landscape themselves have changed over time. In short, we consider the proposed ‘Complete Writings’ to be an excellent opportunity for publishers and funders to join us in creating the seminal work on a much loved British artist whose work can inform our opinions in a great many ways.
TIMELINE AND COSTS Roadmap When undertaking a project with as wide a scope as this, it is important to set out tangible goals within a realistic timeframe. Although much of the initial groundwork has been completed over the past five years, there is still a fair amount of work involved in bringing all the research together into a publishable piece. Below we set out key milestones and the dates by which we aim for these will be completed. February 2016:
Completed final cycle of primary research.
March 2016:
Completed scanning and digitisation of all recorded John Piper works, formatted and proofread to maintain the feel and layout of original work.
April 2016:
Completed all bibliographic information and notes on specific entries.
May 2016:
Completed alphabetical index and thematic index with analysis and comments by Orde Levinson on Piper’s commonly used themes and topics.
June 2016:
Completed introductory chapters by Orde Levinson and other contributors.
August 2016:
Final proof reading, formatting, and finishing touches. ! /!6 4
Budget This project is the conclusion of over five years research and work which has been a largely self funded labour of love. However, as we move into the final phase of the project a certain level of capital is required in order to ensure that we are able to meet deadlines, conclude all research strands, and employ a staff member for a six month period. The table below sets out a breakdown of the estimated costs needed to conclude this project in good time. It should be strongly noted that we are working closely with the Oxford based charity The Peace View Ltd (registered charity number: 1111997) and as such all grants and funding provided for this project will be applicable for Corporation Tax Relief as well as Gift Aid. Please feel free to add any costs associated with co-publishing and printing to this table for fundraising purposes.
Item
Costs
Description
Staff Costs
This includes the fee for Campbell Martin, along £ with a Junior Editor and a Database Specialist. All roles are essential in order to efficiently edit, organise, and categorise all aspects of the work.
28,250
CD Mastering
We believe it is important to make this collection £ available in a completely digital form with searchable data. It can be provided as a companion to the physical copies or sold as a separate product at a much lower price point.
11,500
Scanning, OCR, etc
Each of Piper’s writings goes through several £ stages. Firstly it is scanned, then put through an OCR program, then proofread, and finally reformatted to maintain the original layout. This cost works out at less than £1.50 per piece.
2,000
Travel Costs
Certain works by Piper are currently only available £ in libraries or in private collections. In these cases it is necessary to travel to those places in order to make copies or notes relating to these documents.
1,250
Fees and Acquisitions Many journals and private libraries require £ membership in order to access work. It will also be necessary to purchase some of Piper’s books.
1,000
Misc.
£
1,000
£
45,000
Total
General research costs not stated above.
All costs are estimates and subject to change ! /!6 5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND PERMISSIONS As previously stated, the proposed ‘Complete Writings’ will be the culmination of many years of research and effort, as such a lot of the legal groundwork has already been completed in anticipation of publication. The most important thing to note about this project is that full permission from John and Myfanwy Piper, along with the current Piper estate has been granted to us allowing publication and republication of all Piper's written works. In instances where Piper has been interviewed, contributed to an edited volume or journal, or co-wrote a piece (e.g. his famous work with John Betjeman) permission to reproduce this has also been obtained. While this project focuses on the written works of John Piper, Orde Levinson has written several books cataloguing the visual art of Piper for which permission to reproduce images was also granted and may be reused.
! /!6 6
CONTENTS
PROJECT SUMMARY
3
BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES AND WIDER RELEVANCE
TIMELINE AND COSTS
4
ROADMAP BUDGET
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND PERMISSIONS
6
! /!6 2
PROJECT SUMMARY Background John Piper is widely considered to be one of the most important and versatile British artists of the 20th Century. Born in 1903 it initially seemed likely that he would follow his fathers footsteps and join the family law firm, however — after the death of his father — Piper began pursuing his interest in art. He completed courses at the Richmond School of Art and later went on to study at the Royal College of Art where he studied painting and stained glass. Shortly after leaving the RCA Piper exhibited his work both on his own and with others such as the London Group. During this time he began writing reviews and criticisms in order to supplement his income, this writing work was very well received and brought him to the attention of the 7&5 Society of which he soon became secretary. Along with artists such as Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, and Henry Moore, John Piper changed the society into a modernist institution and helped pioneer the British abstract movement. Although Piper had made important contributions to abstract art, he chose to adopt a more naturalistic approach, concentrating on typical British landscapes and architecture, especially ecclesiastical buildings or historical ruins. After his work as an official World War II war painter, Piper had become a well known public figure with an established and recognisable style. While he experimented with many different mediums and techniques, including several famous stained glass pieces, his work is characterised by rich passages of colour, calligraphic lines, and highly textural qualities. In the late 1930s John and his wife Myfanwy Piper bought a property south of Henley-on-Thames and became an important figure around Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire where he lived, worked, and wrote prolifically until his death in 1992. While John Piper is rightly considered to be one of the most important British artists of the 20th century, his role as a versatile art critic, theorist, and commentator is often overlooked. As such, we believe that a ‘Complete Writings’ which catalogues all known writings by Piper is long overdue and will be an invaluable resource for researchers, art historians, and all those interested in British art. This project was started several years ago by Orde Levinson, an Oxford based artist, author, and friend of John Piper who has previously published books on Piper’s art as well as on a range of other topics. Through his research Orde has managed to bring together over 600 written works by John Piper, including many previously unpublished pieces including personal communications, drafts, and interviews. We are pleased to say, the project has now moved into its final stages which will generally focus on indexing and reformatting Piper’s work, and finalising introductory essays. As an expert on John Piper and author of this project, Orde Levinson will write the introductory chapter of this book, we are also in contact with several leading experts to make essay contributions.
! /!6 3
Objectives and Wider Relevance Although this project may seem particularly broad and complex, our aims can be broken down into four simple points: I.
To display and bring attention to the quality and breadth of John Piper’s writings.
II. To systematically catalogue and reproduce all known written works by John Piper. III. To add to current knowledge by bringing to light previously unpublished works and pairing them with newly written introductions, criticisms, and essays. IV. To create a single, accessible resource for researchers and all those interested in British art. The impact that the this publication will have for those researching Piper and his influence on the history of British art should not be understated, not only as a standalone resource but also as a companion piece to upcoming Piper exhibitions with original writings available for loan. The publication also has a wider importance, as a long time resident of Fawley Bottom farm house, just outside Henley-on-Thames, John Piper drew much inspiration from and even wrote about both the surrounding area and Oxfordshire generally. These writings, which span his 60 year career, provide valuable insight into local history; how social attitudes and landscape themselves have changed over time. In short, we consider the proposed ‘Complete Writings’ to be an excellent opportunity for publishers and funders to join us in creating the seminal work on a much loved British artist whose work can inform our opinions in a great many ways.
TIMELINE AND COSTS Roadmap When undertaking a project with as wide a scope as this, it is important to set out tangible goals within a realistic timeframe. Although much of the initial groundwork has been completed over the past five years, there is still a fair amount of work involved in bringing all the research together into a publishable piece. Below we set out key milestones and the dates by which we aim for these will be completed. February 2016:
Completed final cycle of primary research.
March 2016:
Completed scanning and digitisation of all recorded John Piper works, formatted and proofread to maintain the feel and layout of original work.
April 2016:
Completed all bibliographic information and notes on specific entries.
May 2016:
Completed alphabetical index and thematic index with analysis and comments by Orde Levinson on Piper’s commonly used themes and topics.
June 2016:
Completed introductory chapters by Orde Levinson and other contributors.
August 2016:
Final proof reading, formatting, and finishing touches. ! /!6 4
Budget This project is the conclusion of over five years research and work which has been a largely self funded labour of love. However, as we move into the final phase of the project a certain level of capital is required in order to ensure that we are able to meet deadlines, conclude all research strands, and employ a staff member for a six month period. The table below sets out a breakdown of the estimated costs needed to conclude this project in good time. It should be strongly noted that we are working closely with the Oxford based charity The Peace View Ltd (registered charity number: 1111997) and as such all grants and funding provided for this project will be applicable for Corporation Tax Relief as well as Gift Aid. Please feel free to add any costs associated with co-publishing and printing to this table for fundraising purposes.
Item
Costs
Description
Staff Costs
This includes the fee for Campbell Martin, along £ with a Junior Editor and a Database Specialist. All roles are essential in order to efficiently edit, organise, and categorise all aspects of the work.
28,250
CD Mastering
We believe it is important to make this collection £ available in a completely digital form with searchable data. It can be provided as a companion to the physical copies or sold as a separate product at a much lower price point.
11,500
Scanning, OCR, etc
Each of Piper’s writings goes through several £ stages. Firstly it is scanned, then put through an OCR program, then proofread, and finally reformatted to maintain the original layout. This cost works out at less than £1.50 per piece.
2,000
Travel Costs
Certain works by Piper are currently only available £ in libraries or in private collections. In these cases it is necessary to travel to those places in order to make copies or notes relating to these documents.
1,250
Fees and Acquisitions Many journals and private libraries require £ membership in order to access work. It will also be necessary to purchase some of Piper’s books.
1,000
Misc.
£
1,000
£
45,000
Total
General research costs not stated above.
All costs are estimates and subject to change ! /!6 5
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND PERMISSIONS As previously stated, the proposed ‘Complete Writings’ will be the culmination of many years of research and effort, as such a lot of the legal groundwork has already been completed in anticipation of publication. The most important thing to note about this project is that full permission from John and Myfanwy Piper, along with the current Piper estate has been granted to us allowing publication and republication of all Piper's written works. In instances where Piper has been interviewed, contributed to an edited volume or journal, or co-wrote a piece (e.g. his famous work with John Betjeman) permission to reproduce this has also been obtained. While this project focuses on the written works of John Piper, Orde Levinson has written several books cataloguing the visual art of Piper for which permission to reproduce images was also granted and may be reused.
! /!6 6
