If I Could But See It: A Graphic Biography of William Morris. Nick Thorkelson. Ed. Paul Buhle and Mari Jo Buhle. Pluto Press. 126pp. $25.76.
William Morris . . . equate him with a bundle of energy, on the move, hungering for a new challenge. A person who took the liberal arts ethos to heart. Born 1834. Died 1896. His doctor famously said of Morris dying at a relatively young age: “William Morris died from being William Morris. He lived ten lives in his time.” Just like so many young people before him and after him, he dearly wanted to make his mark and to help make this a better world for all of us. All of his activity informed his work as a textile designer, poet and activist. All of his activity was fueled by revolutionary socialist and anti-capitalist passions to oppose industrialization and make authentic hand-made art to be shared with the masses. During a lively discussion on a worker revolt, a full scale revolution, Morris famously said, “If I could but see a day of it. If I could but see it!” Thus the title to this graphic biography by acclaimed cartoonist Nick Thorkelson. It requires a great passion, bordering on obsession, to do a graphic biography properly–and this Thorkelson has done.
William Morris (1834 – 1896)
Does the young student hear the siren song of William Morris as loud and clear as generations past? No, it’s a different playing field. Any young person will tell you that, if they don’t know something, it’s besides the point since they can get an instant summation by a quick tap and scroll. Aside from that, it is inevitable that William Morris will make contact with every new crop of freshmen at least in the same manner as academia’s delivery of Plato’s cave and Beowulf. But is that good enough? No, it’s not. That’s where a graphic biography like this can step in and bring home what is engaging, exciting and relevant about William Morris and related matters. A.I. will not suffice! You need a cartoonist with ferocity, that unique human touch, to light up the page. Thorkelson, a true cartoonist down to his bones, employs a variety of visual delights to keep the narrative flowing and secure that the information presented is clear and concise. As you can see in the example below, depicting a creative discussion/debate, William Morris and a colleague literally dive from one panel to the next during their lively exchange.
If you’re newly invested in the liberal arts, why wouldn’t you want to get acquainted with one of the greatest polymaths ever known? I recall, in my youth, having a quick appreciation for Morris. I connected him with the Pre-Raphaelite movement in the arts, circa mid-1800s, having to do with a return to a more earthy approach prior to academic painter, Raphael. Indeed, it was a vision intertwined with the whimsical, pastoral, humane and so much more; nothing less than seeking the meaning of life! A noble mindset that Morris and his friends fed upon. Young people of his day worshiped painters and poets in the same way that pop stars and influencers are today but at a decidedly profound level. Thorkelson does a great job of evoking that sense of wonder.
And then it’s all about the follow-through, and Morris and his college coterie were well up to the challenge. That was the whole point. As young people from another generation would be inspired to start up a band, Morris and his group wanted to tap into a way to bring art back to the people and, remarkably, they would settle upon forming an arts and craft design firm specializing in affordable decorative domestic items, focusing on furniture and textile designs. This being a profoundly art-friendly group, it is something of a miracle that they were to become such a successful business, catching the attention of everyone, including Queen Victoria. And therein lay the rub. As well as the group did, particularly with rich clients, it could not help but conflict with their natural alliance with the poor and working class. Victorian capitalism was on shaky ground: the new era of industrialization exploited the working class; the two-party system appeared to be utterly bankrupt. The British Socialist movement was on the rise. This inspired William Morris, who would go on to contribute significantly not only to art, design and poetry, but also maintain a lifelong role as an activist.
Furnishing fabric; – Strawberry Thief; cotton; indigo discharge and block print; by William Morris (1834 – 96); English; 1883.
William Morris . . . equate him with a bundle of energy, on the move, hungering for a new challenge–and fighting for a solution to the poor being subjugated by the rich. If you hunger for a better world, one that brings people first, then William Morris is an excellent entry point. Nick Thorkelson makes the case so very well. We live in such a hectic and fragmented time but pause we must, contemplate we must–protest and never give in to an easy fix lest capitalism swallow you whole.
England’s Victorian era, for all its pomp, beneath its surface faced a massive political, economic and cultural rebellion. We see a similar perfect storm in the U.S. A first corrective step is just weeks away with the midterm elections.
Editor’s Note: After the main feature to this book, Sharon Rudahl, an accomplished comic artist and noted member of the Comics Underground, provides a delightful illustrated adaptation of the literary works of William Morris. Many thanks also must go to this book’s editors, Paul Buhle and Mari Jo Buhle, who provide an insightful and highly informative Afterword.
