The day will comprise of three lectures covering Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Elisabeth Frink and Antony Caro. Other British-based sculptors who influenced them, and a few that followed them, will also be mentioned. In equal measure, the day will feature different sculpting materials and techniques, triumphs at home and abroad, and a fair few tribulations. In some ways, British sculpture found its identity in the 20th century, and at the heart of this achievement were our four featured sculptors.
OVERVIEW OF THE SPECIAL INTEREST DAY: MODERN-ERA BRITISH
SCULPTURE
The three lectures of this Special Interest Day focus on four great British sculptors of the modern era: Moore, Hepworth, Caro and Frink. Between them they helped to establish Britain as an art powerhouse in the modern era. The lectures will tell their stories, and show examples of some of their most iconic, and some of their not-so-well-known sculptures and other work. There will be also be instances of controversy and clashes between three of them, that speak volumes of the highly competitive and charged world of art. But above all, the lectures will celebrate four lives well led, that have left us with bodies of work of unparalleled power, conviction and interest.
LECTURE ONE: LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS AND HENRY MOORE
This lecture begins by looking at how two foreign-born artists - Henri Gaudier Brzeska and Jacob Epstein - helped British-based sculptors who followed them to become modern. Leading the pack was Henry Moore. He was open to a wide range of influences, and in addition to Gaudier-Brzeska and Jacob Epstein, he drew on Michelangelo, Brâncuși, Cubism, Abstraction, Surrealism, and central and south American Aztec and Mayan cultures, in establishing his unique approach to sculpture from the 1920s. He often sculpted family groups and reclining figures, and was a great believer in taking art into public places. He was also at the centre of controversy. For example, the art establishment in the 1930s accused him of being too modern; while the New Yorks school in the 1940s accused him of not being modern enough. He also came under fire in the 1960s from the next generation of British-sculptors including Caro and Frink, who accused him of self-aggrandisement.
However, despite these criticisms, Moore continued to develop his sculptural work, and took time out to branch into other artistic endeavours. This lecture will cover all these angles of Moore’s life and work, and finish with an appreciation of his place in the modern British art world.
LECTURE TWO: BARBARA HEPWORTH AND HER JOURNEY TO PERFECT ABSTRACT LYRICISM
This lecture focuses on Barbara Hepworth, and her journey from Cubist-based figurative sculptures to perfect abstract lyricism, where her materials, shapes and contours can be admired in their own right. At the start of her career, she came under the same influences as Henry Moore, before finding her own identity. However, as her career developed, she was often overshadowed by the men in her life – John Skeaping her first husband, Ben Nicoloson her second husband, and Henry Moore her long-term friend. Yet she survived the comparisons and competition with a quiet determination and confidence, that was rooted in her talent and her appreciation of the coasts and landscapes of Yorkshire and Cornwall. As the mother of four children, she demonstrated how to combine family life with work life, and how to succeed at both. This lecture will cover the many different aspects of her life: from the moment she was told not to bother with carving in stone as that was man’s work, to her embrace of social and humanitarian causes.
LECTURE THREE: ANTHONY CARO AND ELISABETH FRINK … AND A BRIEF LOOK INTO THE FUTURE
When Anthony Caro studied sculpture in the 1940s, he was taught by traditional sculptors. Seeking to become modern he became Moore’s studio assistant for two years and made Moore-like sculptors. In 1959, Caro met with American abstract artists, and in consequence changed his approach, relying on sheets of steel to produce non-figurative sculptures. It was as if he was making 3D versions of American abstract paintings. He continued in this vein until the passing of Moore and, from the mid-1980s, turned back to figurative sculptures that addressed political and humanitarian ideals. Elisabeth Frink emerged at the same time as Caro, and yet – unlike him – her sculptures were always figurative, with many of her subjects being birds, horses and men. In particular, she saw men as both heroes and villains, and her sculptures of fallen (male) angels, Greek warriors and a Dying King reflected this point of view. In doing so she was heavily influenced by her wartime experiences andmemories. This lecture gives an overview of the life and work of Caro and Frink. It concludes by briefly looking at what the future might hold for British sculpture as new technologies – such as AI, 3D printing, and virtual reality - for the making, ownership and display of sculpture become available. Prepare to be surprised!
RAY WARBURTON OBE
Ray has been a guide at Tate Britain and Tate Modern since 2012. He was awarded an MA in the History of Art from the University of Buckingham in 2017. In the same year, he became an Arts Society Accredited Lecturer. He lectures on a wide range of subjects, that include British-based sculpture. At the heart of Ray’s lectures are a commitment to well-researched subjects, high-quality slides, and audience engagement. In fact, he talks to as many people as possible before, during and after lectures. Before getting into art as a major pre-occupation, Ray had a 40-year career in health and social care.
For a further details please contact Caroline Cobbing - courses.taspv@gmail.com