DES WARREN IS A POLITICAL PRISONER. c. 1973.

N.P. (Galasheils?): School/Art & Language, n.d. (c. 1973)

42 x 30cm, 1pp. Wall poster printed black on white with a lengthy text arguing that art is socially controlled and giving support to Des Warren as a “political prisoner’. Warren was jailed under the Conservative Government as part of the Shrewsbury Two (the other being the actor Ricky Tomlinson). The charges were of affray and the evidence against the two seemed flimsy and just an excuse to jail a long-time antagonist of the ruling class. This poster was issued as part of the “School” project initiated by David Rushton, Philip Pilkington and Paul Wood (the first two  of whom were in the process of leaving the conceptual art group Art & Language and school might be seen as one of the last activities of the group albeit unofficial. The “School” initiative encouraged self-organisation by students (and art students in particular) against formalised methods of teaching in higher and tertiary eduction. “School” also encouraged the publication of local student led publications and propaganda and even organised the design and printing of a number of such works. Folded horizontally for storage else VG. From Charles Harrison’s archive. Very scarce.