Speedway

Sybil Andrews

1934 · Color linocut on Japanese paper · Drawings and Prints

Grosvenor School artists frequently presented images of sports from the vantage point of spectators rather than athletes, something Andrews adopted in Speedway. Here, she captured the velocity of racing motorbikes—a sensation amplified by their arrangement into a bold diagonal—as well as the excitement felt by the audience. Speedway also recalls photographs found in newspapers, magazines, and newsreels, thus testifying to the rise of new types of reporting. The work corresponds to an unpublished poster made for London Transport, which, under the leadership of Frank Pick, commissioned numerous artists and designers to make posters promoting public transportation. Andrews collaborated with Cyril Power as "Andrew Power" and produced several posters for London Transport, including To Hire a Bus or Coach and Lord’s, Oval.

Artist

Sybil Andrews

Date

1934

Medium

Color linocut on Japanese paper

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Purchase, Leslie and Johanna Garfield Gift, Lila Acheson Wallace, Charles and Jessie Price, and David T Schiff Gifts, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, Dolores Valvidia Hurlburt Bequest, Peco Foundation and Friends of Drawings and Prints Gifts, and funds from various donors, 2019