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KitchensinkrealismWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Kitchensinkrealism
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Kitchensinkrealism(orkitchensinkdrama)isatermcoinedto
describeaBritishculturalmovementthatdevelopedinthelate1950s
andearly1960sintheatre,art,novels,filmandtelevisionplays,whose
protagonistsusuallycouldbedescribedas"angryyoungmen"who
weredisillusionedwithmodernsociety.Itusedastyleofsocial
realism,whichdepictedthedomesticsituationsofworkingclass
Britonslivingincrampedrentedaccommodationandspendingtheir
offhoursdrinkingingrimypubs,toexplorecontroversialsocialissues
andpoliticalcontroversiesrangingfromabortiontohomelessness.The
harsh,realisticstylecontrastedsharplywiththeescapismofthe
previousgeneration'ssocalled"wellmadeplays".

ATasteofHoneyisaninfluential
"kitchensinkdrama".Inthis
photoofthe1960Broadway
production,JoanPlowrightplays
theroleofJo,a17yearold
schoolgirlwhohasaloveaffair
withablacksailor(playedby
BillyDeeWilliams).

Thefilms,playsandnovelsemployingthisstylearesetfrequentlyin
poorerindustrialareasintheNorthofEngland,andusetheaccentsand
slangheardinthoseregions.ThefilmItAlwaysRainsonSunday
(1947)isaprecursorofthegenre,andtheJohnOsborneplayLook
BackinAnger(1956)isthoughtofasthefirstofthegenre.Thegritty
lovetriangleofLookBackinAnger,forexample,takesplaceina
cramped,oneroomflatintheEnglishMidlands.ShelaghDelaney's
1958playATasteofHoney(whichwasmadeintoafilmofthesamenamein1961),isaboutateenage
schoolgirlwhohasanaffairwithablacksailor,getspregnant,andthenmovesinwithagaymale
acquaintanceitraisesissuessuchasclass,race,genderandsexualorientation.Theconventionsofthe
genrehavecontinuedintothe2000s,findingexpressioninsuchtelevisionshowsasCoronationStreetand
EastEnders.[1]
Inart,"KitchenSinkSchool"wasatermusedbycriticDavidSylvestertodescribepainterswhodepicted
socialrealisttypescenesofdomesticlife.[2]

Contents
1 History
1.1 Antecedentsandinfluences
1.2 Originsofterm
1.3 1950s1960s
2 1970s2000s
3 Listoffilms
4 Popculturereferences

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4 Popculturereferences
5 Seealso
6 References
7 Externallinks

History
Antecedentsandinfluences
Theculturalmovementwasrootedintheidealsofsocialrealism,anartisticmovement,expressedinthe
visualandotherrealistarts,whichdepictsworkingclassactivities.Manyartistswhosubscribedtosocial
realismwerepainterswithsocialistpoliticalviews.Whilethemovementhassomecommonalitieswith
SocialistRealism,anotherstyleofrealismwhichwasthe"officialart"advocatedbythegovernmentsofthe
SovietUnionandotherEasternBloccountries,thetwohadseveraldifferences.Whilesocialrealismisa
broadertypeofartthatrealisticallydepictssubjectsofsocialconcern,[3]Socialistrealismischaracterized
bytheglorifieddepictionofcommunistvalues,suchastheemancipationoftheproletariat,inarealistic
manner.[4]
UnlikeSocialistrealism,socialrealismisnotanofficialartproducedby,orunderthesupervisionofthe
government.Theleadingcharactersareoften'antiheroes'ratherthanpartofaclasstobeadmired,asin
Socialistrealism.Typically,protagonistsinsocialrealismaredissatisfiedwiththeirworkingclasslivesand
theworld,ratherthanbeingidealisedworkerswhoarepartofaSocialistutopiaintheprocessofcreation.
Assuch,socialrealismallowsmorespaceforthesubjectivityoftheauthortobedisplayed.
Partly,socialrealismdevelopedasareactionagainstRomanticism,whichpromotedloftyconceptssuchas
the"ineffable"beautyandtruthofartandmusic,andeventurnedthemintospiritualideals.Assuch,social
realismfocusedonthe"uglyrealitiesofcontemporarylifeandsympathizedwithworkingclasspeople,
particularlythepoor."(ThequotationisfromGeorgeShi,oftheUniversityofFineArts,Valencia).[5]

Originsofterm
IntheUnitedKingdom,theterm"kitchensink"derivedfromanexpressionistpaintingbyJohnBratby,
whichcontainedanimageofakitchensink.Bratbydidvariouskitchenandbathroomthemedpaintings,
includingthreepaintingsoftoilets.Bratby'spaintingsofpeopleoftendepictedthefacesofhissubjectsas
desperateandunsightly.[6][7]Kitchensinkrealismartistspaintedeverydayobjects,suchastrashcansand
beerbottles.ThecriticDavidSylvesterwroteanarticlein1954abouttrendsinrecentEnglishart,calling
hisarticle"TheKitchenSink"inreferencetoBratby'spicture.Sylvesterarguedthattherewasanew
interestamongyoungpaintersindomesticscenes,withstressonthebanalityoflife.[1]Otherartists
associatedwiththekitchensinkstyleincludeDerrickGreaves,EdwardMiddleditchandJackSmith.

1950s1960s
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Beforethe1950s,theUnitedKingdom'sworkingclasswereoftendepictedstereotypicallyinNol
Coward'sdrawingroomcomediesandBritishfilms.Kitchensinkrealismwasalsoseenasbeingin
oppositiontothe"wellmadeplay",thekindwhichtheatrecriticKennethTynanoncedenouncedasbeing
setin"Loamshire",ofdramatistslikeTerenceRattigan."Wellmadeplays"wereadramaticgenrefrom
nineteenthcenturytheatrewhichfounditsearly20thcenturycodificationinBritainintheformofWilliam
Archer'sPlayMaking:AManualofCraftmanship(1912),[8]andintheUnitedStateswithGeorgePierce
Baker'sDramaticTechnique(1919).[9]Kitchensinkworkswerecreatedwiththeintentionofchangingall
that.Theirpoliticalviewswereinitiallylabeledasradical,sometimesevenanarchic.
JohnOsborne'splayLookBackInAnger(1956)depictedyoungmeninawaythatissimilartothethen
contemporary"AngryYoungMen"movementoffilmandtheatredirectors.The"angryyoungmen"werea
groupofmostlyworkingandmiddleclassBritishplaywrightsandnovelistswhobecameprominentinthe
1950s.FollowingthesuccessoftheOsborneplay,thelabel"angryyoungmen"waslaterappliedbyBritish
mediatodescribeyoungwriterswhowerecharacterisedbyadisillusionmentwithtraditionalBritish
society.TheheroofLookBackInAngerisagraduate,butheisworkinginamanualoccupation.Itdealt
withsocialalienation,theclaustrophobiaandfrustrationsofaprovinciallifeonlowincomes.
TheimpactofthisworkinspiredArnoldWeskerandShelaghDelaney,amongnumerousothers,towrite
playsoftheirown.TheEnglishStageCompanyattheRoyalCourtTheatre,headedbyGeorgeDevineand
TheatreWorkshoporganisedbyJoanLittlewoodwereparticularlyprominentinbringingtheseplaystothe
public'sattention.CriticJohnHeilpernwrotethatLookBackinAngerexpressedsuch"immensityoffeeling
andclasshatred"thatitalteredthecourseofEnglishtheatre.[1]Theterm"Angrytheatre"wascoinedby
criticJohnRussellTaylor.[10]
ThiswasallpartoftheBritishNewWaveatranspositionoftheconcurrentnouvellevaguefilm
movementinFrance,someofwhoseworks,suchasThe400Blowsof1959,alsoemphasisedthelivesof
theurbanproletariat.BritishfilmmakerssuchasTonyRichardsonandLindsayAnderson(seealsoFree
Cinema)channelledtheirvitriolicangerintofilmmaking.ConfrontationalfilmssuchasSaturdayNight
andSundayMorning(1960)andATasteofHoney(1962)werenoteworthymoviesinthegenre.Saturday
NightandSundayMorningisaboutayoungmachinistwhospendshiswagesatweekendsondrinkingand
havingagoodtime,untilhisaffairwithamarriedwomanleadstohergettingpregnantandhimbeing
beatenbyherhusbandtothepointofhospitalization.ATasteofHoneyisabouta17yearoldschoolgirl
withanabusive,alcoholicmother.Theschoolgirlstartsarelationshipwithablacksailorandgetspregnant.
Afterthesailorleavesonhisship,Jomovesinwithahomosexualacquaintance,Geoffrey,whoassumes
theroleofsurrogatefather.ATasteofHoneyraisestheissuesofclass,race,genderandsexualorientation.
Later,asmanyofthesewritersanddirectorsdiversified,kitchensinkrealismwastakenupbytelevision
directorswhoproducedtelevisionplays.Thesingleplaywasthenastapleofthemedium,andArmchair
Theatre(195668),producedbytheITVcontractorABC,TheWednesdayPlay(196470)andPlayfor
Today(197084),bothBBCseries,containedmanyworksofthiskind.JeremySandford'stelevisionplay
CathyComeHome(1966,directedbyKenLoachforTheWednesdayPlayslot)forinstance,addressedthe
thenstigmatisedissueofhomelessness.
KitchensinkrealismwasalsousedinthenovelsofStanBarstow,JohnBraine,AlanSillitoeandothers.

1970s2000s
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FilmreviewerBrianGibsonfromVueWeekly(Edmonton,Canada)statedthatinthe1979film
Quadrophenia,directorFranc"Roddam'slookbackatanangstyyoungmanin'65isathrowbacktothe
kitchensinkdramasthatbeganplumbingthedepthsoflowerclasslivesthen.Reekingwitharestlessteen
spirit,Quadrophenialeadsusdownadolescence'sblindalleysofrebellion."[11]

Listoffilms
LookBackinAnger(1959)
RoomattheTop(1959)
SaturdayNightandSundayMorning(1960)
TheEntertainer(1960)
ATasteofHoney(1961)
AKindofLoving(1962)
TheLShapedRoom(1962)
TheLonelinessoftheLongDistanceRunner(1962)
APlacetoGo(1963)
ThisSportingLife(1963)
BillyLiar(1963)
TheLeatherBoys(1964)
ThisisMyStreet(1964)
Alfie(1966)
TheWhisperers(1967)
PoorCow(1967)
UptheJunction(1968)
Kes(1969)
SpringandPortWine(1970)
BroncoBullfrog(1970)

Popculturereferences
Morrissey,asingerandlyricistfromManchester,includedseveralreferencestotheworkingclass
issuesofkitchensinkrealisminhis1980serasongsfortheSmithsandduringhissolocareerinthe
1990sand2000s.Asateen,MorrisseywasfascinatedbysuchkitchensinkdramasasCoronation
Street.
Pulp,abritpopbandfromSheffield,arenotedforthekitchensinkrealismofthe1990erawithin
theirsongs.
Irishsinger/songwriterGavinFriday'ssong"KitchenSinkDrama"onthe1995albumShagTobacco
reflectsthechallengesofworkingclasslife:"Iwokeupthismorning/Dreadingthethoughtof
another/Dullandboringday/Heywoeisme."
The1989madeforTVfilmNorbertSmithaLifefeaturedHarryEnfield(asthefictionalactorSir
NorbertSmith)inafilmentitledIt'sGrimUpNorth,whichparodiedseveralofthesituationsand
clichesofthekitchensinkdramas.
ComedyduoMelSmithandGriffRhysJonesmadeaspoofofthegenreintheirpresentationofthe
"slightlyirritableyoungmen"andtheir"bloodykitchensink"theatre,asopposedtoanyplay
containingFrenchwindows.
Intheearly2010s,theAmericancomedyvarietyshowSaturdayNightLivehasfeaturedarecurring
sketchcalledASorryLotWeAre,abroadparodyofBritishworkingclassdramas.
InthebeginningofthezombiefilmShaunoftheDead,workingclassstiffsareportrayedasifthey
arealreadyzombies.
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In1983,BritishElectroPopDuoSoftCellreleasedtheirAlbumTheArtofFallingApartwhich
containsaTracknamedKitchenSinkDrama.

Seealso
AshcanSchooloneequivalentAmericanartmovement
Naturalism

References
1.Heilpern,John.JohnOsborne:TheManyLivesoftheAngryYoungMan,NewYork:Knopf,2007.
2.Walker,John.(1992)"KitchenSinkSchool"(http://www.artdesigncafe.com/kitchensinkschool1992).Glossary
ofArt,Architecture&Designsince1945,3rd.ed.Retrieved20January2012.
3.Todd,JamesG."SocialRealism".ArtTerms.MuseumofModernArt,2009.
4.Korin,Pavel,ThoughtsonArt,SocialistRealisminLiteratureandArt.ProgressPublishers,Moscow,1971,p.
95.
5."SocialRealism".Retrieved20080504.
6.IanChilversJohnGlavesSmith(2009).ADictionaryofModernandContemporaryArt.OxfordUniversity
Press.p.259.ISBN9780199239658
7."JohnBratby19281992".Tate.Retrieved6January2014.
8.Archer,William.Playmaking:aManualofCraftsmanship.Publicdomain.
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10865
9.JLStyan,ModernDramainTheoryandPracticeI,quotedbyInnes(2000,7).
10.JohnRussellTaylorAngerandAfter,1962,London:Methuen.
11.http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/quadrophenia/reviews/

Externallinks
BFI:BritishNewWave(http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/445176/)
Tucker,David,ed.BritishSocialRealismintheArtsSince1940,London:PalgraveMacmillan,2011.
(http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?PID=390272)
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kitchen_sink_realism&oldid=705724195"
Categories: CinemaoftheUnitedKingdom Englishdrama Englishliterarymovements Modernart
Socialrealism TheatreintheUnitedKingdom Theatricalgenres
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