Aftermath: Art in the Wake of World War One

‘Aftermath’ is a potent exhibition that reminds us why the lessons of war should never be set aside just for remembrance and commemoration at convenient anniversaries. The exhibition is Tate’s contribution to the centenary of the First World War and addresses the conflict through its repercussions. ‘Aftermath’ contextualizes British responses to the Great War with French and German compatriots, recognizing the importance of London, Paris and Berlin in interwar visual culture. Perhaps in order to concentrate its focus, the exhibition circumvents the questions of whether London can be equated to the other two cities, or can indeed be considered representative of British art and British responses to the conflict during the interwar period. Significant artworks by widely recognized names, including Stanley Spencer, Henry Moore, Picasso, and Max Beckmann are exhibited alongside lesser-known and unfamiliar works and artists. The result is an exhibition of breadth and diversity. RoomOne plunges us into mud, water, death, and debris. It is expected; however, the power of the imagery has not been diminished by familiarity, or the passing of time. Indeed, the curators have in some cases managed to make it even more powerful. The recurrent motif of the (often upturned) helmet, a symbol of death, is amplified by the presence of British, German, and French examples. We can only speculate on the fate of the individuals who had been issued the helmets, rusted and battered, that we are confronted by here. The impact and poignancy is undeniable, but where can you go from this? Jacob Epstein’s instantly recognizable Vorticist sculpture Torso in Metal from ‘The Rock Drill’ (1913–14) – a once-vital figure rendered impotent by Epstein’s own act of iconoclasm – stands with another broken figure in Wilhelm Lehmbruck’s Fallen Man (1915), who either crawls towards an unknown