SCULPTURES - Leaving delight in their wake

Auguste Rodin 1882 "The Kiss"

From our own Henry Moore, Elizabeth Frink, Barbara Hepworth and Anthony Caro among others, I became more interested in sculpture when I moved to London from the suburbs. The obvious way to enjoy sculpture is in public places where there are some¹, in museums too, and especially in the open air museums of the sculptors themselves.

Sculptures sometimes tell a story, depict a famous personage or scene, or excite the intellect by their complexity. Then there are those that are “touchy-feely” that you just want to stroke them and admire them for their design or form. You don’t have to understand sculpture to enjoy or admire it. Every sculptor has their own league of fans. For new sculptors it can’t be easy if they want to create huge pieces as expense must be a main consideration.

However, there are benefactors and financiers who have an interest in art and getting their attention must be an enormous challenge to any young sculptor working today, but in the UK there are places where they will consider applications². What makes an artist want to sculpt? What makes them choose their medium? It’s something I’ve always pondered, my own delight would be to work in modeling clay and create heads or busts, but I haven’t got round to that yet.

If you know where sculpture can be found (such as the artists’ own museum or workshop) that’s fine, but public art is readily available. One of the most successful artists working today is Anthony Gormley, who created the “Angel of the North” in Gateshead, his wonderful man sculptures dotting the landscape, a great idea and very intriguing. Originally mounted in London in 2007, the project Event Horizon, consisted of 31 life-size anatomically-correct male bodies situated atop large buildings on the South Bank in London and he even had some in New York. Gormley wanted people to look up to discover every aspect of what was around them, an idea I’ve always championed since people very often miss the most interesting things by simply looking ahead or downwards.

I used to sit on the No.73 bus in London when they were double-deckers to simply see what was up there. From the top deck you’d see not only Hyde Park from Park Lane and the sculptures there, the great Marble Arch and including the tops of buildings in Oxford Street, well worth a look. You can see these from a tourist bus these days, but the good news is that a few years back they re-introduced the No 73. double-decker and it's the same model!

Sculptures you can climb over always attract children and even grownups. This is in particular when the sculpture is in a public place and usually a large one. Visit Trafalgar Square almost any day and see the four lions, hardly ever free of people climbing all over it and having photos taken there and this creates a camaraderie of sorts. We have some beautiful sculptures on view in London and the opportunity to see these is easier than you think¹. So go and take a look and you will find that your contemplation is well worth the time and effort.

¹ http://www.rupertharris.com/final/public_sculpture/list_public2.php

² http://www.britisharts.co.uk/artsfunding.htm