Tree of Knowledge mural listed in Salford

The Twentieth Century Society is extremely pleased that the Tree of Knowledge mural, a ceramic artwork situated in Salford has been saved and listed.

English Heritage acted quickly to list the mural at Grade II which was forwarded by The Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society (TACS) and  supported by the Twentieth Century Society.

Believed to be the only C20 ceramic mural in Salford, the ‘Tree of Knowledge’ mural was designed for the Cromwell Secondary School for Girls by Alan Boyson, designer maker and then former lecturer at the School of Ceramics in the College of Art, Wolverhampton. It is an astounding piece of polychromatic work in mixed media designed with a direct association to the building’s main function.

The Society has been working closely with TACS in the past year to highlight the plight of many post-war murals across the country. The post-war period in this country saw a tremendous flowering of mural art and some of the very best remain unprotected. The listing of the Tree of Knowledge, along with the other recent listing of a William Mitchell mural in Islington, London, sends a clear message that good artworks should be protected in their own right. The listing was supported by the local paper, the Salford Star and many local people.

EH said the mural demonstrated clever use of colour, was a good example of integration between art and architecture and showed a high level of artistry.