Beyond Bloomsbury: Designs of the Omega Workshops 1913-19

This slim but fascinating show puts its significant holdings of art critic, curator and teacher Roger Fry (Omega's leading light), to good use. The polymathic Fry introduced avant-garde French painting to London, but why he tried his hand at putting cubism on rugs and shawls is not clear. His decorative experiment didn't even last as long as the show's title suggests, closing in 1916, perhaps due to a lack of serious intent in daubing on tables and lampshades, but more likely due to the cost and exertion of producing uniquely customized and hand-pimped objects. (OW)