Will Dyson

From Ballarat and District Industrial Heritage Project
Jump to navigation Jump to search

History

Dyson was born on the 3rd September, 1880, at Alfredton, near Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, the son of George Dyson, then a hawker and later a mining engineer, and his wife Jane, née Mayall.[1] Will Dyson married Ruby Lindsay of the famed artistic family from Creswick.

Dyson was initially known in Australia from his illustration additions to his elder brother (who supported the Dyson family for some time) Edward's book 'Fact'ry 'ands' (1906), and his caricatures of well known Australians which were published in the 'Bulletin' and the 'Lone Hand'. While working at the Adelaide 'Critic' from 1903 contributing "coloured caricatures", Dyson began to develop his own style of satire by drawing political cartoons in 1908 for Randolph Bedford's 'Clarion' coloured covers. However, this freelance work had few avenues and was badly paid, thus naturally causing Dyson to long for 'wider horizons'. [2]

Will Dyson was appointed cartoonist-in-chief (at 5 pounds a week) in the 'Daily Herald', a new labour newspaper which allowed him to express his own ideas freely. His work was 'sensational' and he cut through the self-importance and deception of pre-war England through "championing the working man boldly and without reserve". Dyson drew his cartoons in a 'grand manner' which were "graphically dramatic" with a tone of bitterness when "attacking unemployment, hunger and suffering" and heavy with symbols, depicting his devils as war and destruction. This confronting style was a result of a humanist outlook (that was generated in his youth due to conflict between labour and capital) and being a 'convinced socialist'. [3]

During World War One, Dyson aimed his "distinctive, biting satire" at the war and later Kaiser Wilhelm II, thus his works were perfect examples of the prevalent anti-German sentiment that existed among the Australian public and Allies. A series of these satirical caricatures were published in 1915 under the title of 'Kultur Cartoon' ('Kultur' meaning German civilisation and culture, sometimes used as a derogatory term to suggest elements of militarism, authoritarianism or racism). He also captured scenes from Hill 60 (the important height south-east of Ypres; the 1st Tunnelling Company (made up of Australian miners) had been operating there for seven months before the Battle of Messines, digging mines under the German trenches to undermine their strong position) during his time on the Western Front and related to what they were doing as he came from a mining background. [4]

Dyson died suddenly on the 21st January, 1938 (in Chelsea, England) from a long-standing heart condition and due to global popularity, he made newspaper headlines around the world. "His last cartoon, published on the day of his death, showed—despite an enforced editorial alteration—the old Dyson fire. He had drawn two vultures perched on a crag watching Franco planes bombing defenceless Barcelona. His caption read: 'Once we were the most loathsome things that flew!'"[5]

Legacy

Will Dyson was a renowned Australian artist and was to become 'one of the most influential satirists Australia has produced' [6], well known for his drawings and cartoons. During World War One, Dyson was granted a position as Honorary Lieutenant (without pay and allowance) in December 1916 and travelled to the Western Front. This was a result of being a committed Australian nationalist and this informed his application to join the AIF as an artist, writing that his aim "would be to interpret in a series of drawings, for national preservation, the sentiments and special Australian characteristics of our Army". In May 1917, Will Dyson was appointed as the first official Australian war artist (attached to the AIF) by the Commonwealth [7] . He lived with Australian soldiers on the Western Front and was wounded twice, however he "returned to continue producing his compassionate drawings of humanity under fire." A collection of the water-colour wash and crayon drawings produced on the Front by Dyson, each with his interpretative text, was published in 'Australia at War' (1918).[8]

Dyson depicted "compassionate, engaging representations of the ordinary Australian soldier" instead of great battle scenes like other war artists. Within these representations, Dyson used his "war art pose and gesture...as powerful expressions" to convey the soldiers' experience, including slumped shoulders, drooping heads and vacant stares that truly revealed the "sheer physical exhaustion" and absolute mental fatigue that the soldiers encountered. He also contributed to the legacy of the Anzacs by portraying their "distinctive swagger and charm" of the young men that was their life away from the frontline.[9]

Dyson's commission was terminated in 1920 after spending majority of his time in the war (from May 1917) in France and London.[10]

See also

World War One

Notes


References

  1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Dyson, accessed 7/10/2014.
  2. ↑ Vane Lindesay, 'Dyson, William Henry (Will) (1880–1938)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dyson-william-henry-will-6074/text10399, published first in hardcopy 1981, accessed online 10 December 2014.
  3. ↑ Vane Lindesay, 'Dyson, William Henry (Will) (1880–1938)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dyson-william-henry-will-6074/text10399, published first in hardcopy 1981, accessed online 10 December 2014.
  4. ↑ http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P65053/, accessed on the 10/12/2014.
  5. ↑ Vane Lindesay, 'Dyson, William Henry (Will) (1880–1938)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dyson-william-henry-will-6074/text10399, published first in hardcopy 1981, accessed online 10 December 2014.
  6. ↑ Vane Lindesay, 'Dyson, William Henry (Will) (1880–1938)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dyson-william-henry-will-6074/text10399, published first in hardcopy 1981, accessed online 10 December 2014.
  7. ↑ http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P65053/, accessed on the 10/12/2014.
  8. ↑ Vane Lindesay, 'Dyson, William Henry (Will) (1880–1938)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dyson-william-henry-will-6074/text10399, published first in hardcopy 1981, accessed online 10 December 2014.
  9. ↑ http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P65053/, accessed on the 10/12/2014.
  10. ↑ http://www.awm.gov.au/people/P65053/, accessed on the 10/12/2014.


Further Reading

External links

C.G.H.

Retrieved from "https://bih.federation.edu.au/index.php?title=Will_Dyson&oldid=44306"