Abstract/Summary

The aim of this thesis is to examine the work of the British image-maker Charles Mozley (1914-1991). Extremely prolific and versatile, Mozley was commissioned by London Transport, Shell-Mex, advertising agencies, theatre and film production companies, and many publishers in the UK. In parallel with commercial commissions, Charles Mozley continued to paint, make prints, and exhibit in solo and group shows throughout his life. The long list of commissions, as well as the works held by the Charles Mozley Trust, give evidence that Mozley’s pictures were seen everywhere in England in the mid to second half of the twentieth century. Therefore, Charles Mozley’s work is a valuable, yet unexplored, resource for the study of British mid-twentieth century visual culture. While many historical studies have focused on addressing the work of individuals with the intent of cementing their reputation, the approach of this research goes beyond the usual remit of a biographical study. This thesis puts forward an analytical model for readdressing and reframing the work of image-makers that adds to the more recent critical, self-governing frames of reference applied to the graphic disciplines that strive to be less reliant on, and subordinate to, the classic models of art historians. This inquiry into Charles Mozley’s archive can be regarded as a test case for a wider analytical approach that is mainly focused on the analysis of images within the historical, geographical, and social context in which they were created. The proposed investigative model relies on a comparative analysis of Mozley’s pictures with both the works of other image-makers and other visual objects and society. The first chapter addresses some of the deficiencies of the current narratives of the graphic disciplines by questioning the understanding of “commercial art” and its ambiguous relation to advertising, illustration, and graphic design, often arbitrated by professional and scholarly gatekeeping. Thus, this thesis argues that to grasp the significance and impact of an image-maker’s practice, their body of work ought to be addressed as a unit, irrespective of disciplinary taxonomies and of the perceived quality of some of the work. This research investigates three fields of inquiry that are apposite to Charles Mozley: his visual style, female representation as a recurrent concern, and his reputation and professional circumstances. Chapter 2 identifies the factors that shaped Mozley’s style and demonstrates that the tropes observed in his work are reflective of the way of life and ethos of the British middle-class milieu in mid-twentieth century. Mozley’s dichotomous depiction of women – both virtuous and dissolute – is addressed in Chapter 3 and the analysis demonstrates that his pictures are, in fact, reflective of broader social stereotypes. Chapter 4 discusses Mozley’s reputation during his lifetime, the dynamics of his social and professional circles, and identifies the factors that led to his current obscurity. This research demonstrates that the images produced by successful commercial artists, like Mozley, have the potential to disclose a more complex understanding of the development of the graphic disciplines, professional dynamics, and of the social and historical context in which visual artefacts operated revealing how they encapsulated the ideological concerns and priorities of their time. The analytical approach used here could be applied more broadly to other works which are classified as “commercial art”. This thesis concludes that research based on the work of lesser-known figures can offer a valuable contribution beyond the traditional remit of the visual disciplines and add a visual perspective to social history.