Saturday 22nd January 2011
The Royal Academy of Arts in London is to present the first major exhibition, in 30 years, to take a good look at the state of British sculpture in the twentieth century. The show is to be an exploration of what it means for something to be a British sculpture, and how such creations sit within the broader context of British links with its Empire, continental Europe and the United States.
Ordered chronologically, but presented as an array of unconventional juxtapositions, the exhibition looks set to challenge established thought on the matter of British sculpture and to form new discussion and concepts.
Amongst the sculptors to go on show will be Jacob Epstein, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Richard Long, Damien Hirst and Leon Underwood, ensuring that there will be a little bit of something for anyone with a taste for the 3-dimensional art form.
With significant loans from both the British Museum and the V&A, visitors can also expect to be taken beyond the traditions of the British Isles, in terms of sculptural subject matter. Native American, Indian and African traditions will be highlighted amongst the material, as the exhibition looks at the way in which curious British artists took to drawing on influences from around the world.
As well as looking at the traditions and influences within the range of sculpture on show, the exhibition will also tackle the choices that artists faced between figurative and abstract creation. In the early part of the twentieth century, sculpture still held both commemorative and political duties, forcing sculptors to either comply with tradition, or to look to break the mould.
The exhibition opened today and will run until the 7th April 2011. Make sure you check out the
Royal Academy website for more information!
Posted on January 22nd 2011 on 02:51pm