ations ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁language , ▁and ▁how ▁those ▁found ations ▁can ▁be ▁and ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁to ▁write ▁English ▁with ▁eleg ance ▁and ▁distinction . ▁ ▁Art ▁criticism ▁Read ▁was ▁a ▁champion ▁of ▁modern ▁British ▁artists ▁such ▁as ▁Paul ▁Nash , ▁Ben ▁Nich ol son , ▁Henry ▁Moore ▁and ▁Barbara ▁He p worth . ▁He ▁became ▁associated ▁with ▁Nash ' s ▁contemporary ▁arts ▁group ▁Unit ▁One . ▁Read ▁was ▁professor ▁of ▁fine ▁arts ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Edinburgh ▁( 1 9 3 1 – 3 3 ) ▁and ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁tr end - setting ▁The ▁Bur ling ton ▁Magazine ▁( 1 9 3 3 – 3 8 ). ▁He ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁organis ers ▁of ▁the ▁London ▁International ▁Sur real ist ▁Ex hib ition ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁and ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁Sur real ism , ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁which ▁included ▁contributions ▁from ▁André ▁Bre ton , ▁Hugh ▁Sy kes ▁Dav ies , ▁Paul ▁É lu ard , ▁and ▁Georges ▁H ug net . ▁He ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁trust ee ▁of ▁the ▁T ate ▁Gallery ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁cur ator ▁at ▁the ▁Victoria ▁& ▁Albert ▁Museum ▁( 1 9 2 2 – 3 9 ), ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁co - found ing ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁Contempor ary ▁Arts ▁with ▁Roland ▁Pen rose ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁English ▁writers ▁to ▁take ▁notice ▁of ▁exist ential ism , ▁and ▁was ▁strongly ▁influenced ▁by