Catalogue relating to an exhibition, 1987
Published by: Creation for Liberation
Year published: 1987
Number of pages: 16

Catalogue for what proved to be the final of Creation for Liberation’s open exhibitions of the 1980s that took place 17 November - 7 October 1987. Titled, Creation for Liberation Open Exhibition Art by Black Artists, it was held at Brixton Village (formerly St Matthew’s Meeting Place, Brixton Hill, London SW2. The selection panel for the exhibition consisted of Eddie Chambers, Chila Kumari Burman and Eugene Palmer, all of whom had work in the exhibition.  A hugely important dimension of the exhibition was its accompanying seminar, Seeking a Black Aesthetic, led by Aubrey Williams. This was a rare coming together of a senior figure of the pioneering generation of Britain’s postwar immigrant artists, and a younger generation of practitioners.  

The catalogue’s Introduction included some notes as to the origins of the exhibition, which by 1987 in its fourth iteration. Wrote Claudius Hilliman, “Creation for Liberation was born out of the struggles of the black community. These struggles have had and continue to have a cultural dimension in the arts; be it the fine arts, literature, music, the performing arts, film and sport. So when artist Ronald Williams met Linton Kwesi Johnson, a founder member of CFL, about mounting an open exhibition of black art, CFL was ready and able to organize the First Open Exhibition in 1983 at St Matthew’s Meeting Place.”

Catalogue contents as follows:

Contents page, including Organisers, reference to the Aubrey Williams Prize - “£100 as a prize for the best exhibit”, as judged by members of the public, Acknowledgements, etc

Introduction, by Claudius Hilliman, Chairman CFL

Opening Statement by Errol Lloyd

Short bio on Lloyd

One-page notice about the related seminar, to be led by Aubrey Williams, Seeking a Black Aesthetic

Alphabetical list of exhibitors, including seven small monochrome reproductions

Essay, Black Art Exhibitions in Britain, by Eddie Chambers

(Back cover), Creation for Liberation manifesto

As noted by the inclusion of two funding logos, the exhibition was financially assisted by Lambeth and Greater London Arts.

From Lloyd’s introduction: “…These open exhibitions, organised by CFL, have been sufficiently regular over the years and sufficiently well received by the public, to be now classified as one of the important cultural institutions which has been spawned by the black community to meet our deep cultural/artistic needs.

…Over the centuries, there has (sic) been successive waves of immigration to Britain of people who have ultimately contributed to the cultural life of this nation. My own belief, based more on instinct than on any concrete research, is that no other comparable group has created a more prolific or coherent body of work in the field of the visual arts in so short a period of time and from such adverse conditions than our brothers and sisters whose roots are in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.”

The exhibition’s catalogue cover featured a reproduction of Aubrey Williams’ Sun Hyroglyph. The catalogue containing monochrome reproductions of work by a number of the artists.