A new book by Canadian art historian James King, titled "Our Little Gang," examines the Vorticist movement, highlighting its toxic internal dynamics and the marginalization of its female pioneers. King details how Wyndham Lewis, the movement's self-appointed leader, belittled followers like Jessica Dismorr and Helen Saunders, even painting over one of Saunders' works. The book also explores the movement's artistic tensions, balancing abstraction with representation, and features works by Lewis, David Bomberg, and Saunders.
This book matters because it challenges the traditional narrative of Vorticism as merely a short-lived British avant-garde movement, instead revealing the destructive interpersonal politics that contributed to its demise. By restoring attention to women artists like Dismorr and Saunders, King corrects a historical oversight and offers a more nuanced understanding of early 20th-century modernism. The publication is significant for art historians and enthusiasts interested in the intersection of gender, power, and artistic innovation.