Sculpture.org.uk | News

new work by awst & walther : i miss you

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:39:43 +0000

i miss you takes the shape of a 3.5m high jar, which resembles a nutella jar. the silhouette of the jar is recognisable to many as a familiar kitchen condiment and is symbolic of product, container and of consumption. despite its foreboding scale, the title gives this work a personal and human element. just like a hole in the heart, the hole at the centre of i miss you is indicative of a void or emptiness. this void in this work creates a space one can physically pass through - acting as shelter that is protective and embracing. loss is implied by the framed silhouette of 'nothingness' in the work, filled by a far-off landscape. metaphorically, the hole at the centre of the jar alludes to the finite possibilities for material consumption to fill this void. the gold finish of i miss you, emphasises the preciousness of this object, by alluding both to the literal value of the object itself and the abstract value of what has been lost. the kitchen-counter container coupled with this gold finish recall the language of pop art, and specifically the work of andy warhol who elevated the status of the everyday object to that of a work of art. this intentional analogy draws one's thoughts back to the mundane consumer value of the nutella jar. i miss you characterises awst & walther's ability to produce simple, iconic objects rich with physical and emotional associations. awst & walther i miss you polystyrene, jesmonite, polyurethane paint and lacquer 350cm high

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New work by alex hoda : whirlwind

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:26:39 +0000

Despite the figurative associations of Whirlwind, its physical shape is firmly grounded in abstraction. Where its title and form are suggestive of a very obvious, concrete thing, its method of production is actually the result of a random, abstracting process. Whirlwind is part of a series of works by Hoda that are created using a new method of production. The starting point for this sculpture is molten copper, which Hoda pours into water to force a reaction that solidifies the material. The result of this process is a miniature, curious, lump of metal that is then digitally scanned and enlarged --finally cast and finished with a raw copper surface. Whirlwind is the largest commission from this series of works. The conceptual element of this process harks back to the surrealist method of automatism, which encouraged an element of chaos by 'dissolving all control exercised by reason,' as stated by its founder, Andre Breton. Removing himself as the immaculate author of the content of this work, Hoda has allowed the automatic methods of surrealism to govern the piece. In Whirlwind, the bulbous forms and protrusions seem to mimic bone, flesh and organs, further referencing the anthropomorphic figures often found in surrealist work. Whirlwind captures the frenetic energy and the random construction of a real-life whirlwind. Its organic and intricate structure constantly transforms as different shapes and views seem to emerge - resulting in fragments and abstractions that almost, but never quite, resolve into recognizable forms. This quest for form gives energy to the work, and for the viewer, turns looking into an active process. alex hoda whirlwind bronze 225 cm high

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New small-scale sculpture by Tony Cragg is now on display in the Cass Sculpture Foundation Visitor Gallery.

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:55:51 +0100

4pm and Mixed Feelings form part of the sculptural series Rational Beings. In this series, Cragg further developed his 1980s columnar sculptures of stacked, cylindrical objects, by re-working them with forms hand-crafted from diverse materials such as polystyrene, stone and wood, rather than the found objects of his earlier work. Made from steel, both 4pm and Mixed Feelings are a combination of geometric and organic forms. Cragg's artistic process for the Rational Beings begins with large numbers of pencil drawings of elliptical shapes along non-linear axes, which are then developed further and manipulated by computer templates. Cragg uses this technological aspect to elaborate and change specific characteristics, such as the oval shapes, which are integral to the sculpture's structural foundations. These co-operative processes permit the structures to form intricate, complicated shapes and multiple profiles, imbuing Cragg's sculptures with a real sense of dynamic contextuality. Ellipses and circular shapes form the basis for all living organisms, organs, plants and animals. Cragg uses these simple organic shapes as inspiration, allowing them to transform into glimpses of facial profiles, which appear and disappear as one explores the structures from different angles and perspectives. The intention of these sculptures is not the representation and depiction of specific portraiture but rather the prowess and independence of various axial views in shaping our ability to identify recognisable silhouettes. The twisted, curvaceous forms also reveal hidden aspects of the structure, engaging the space each sculpture occupies in a special dialogue and alluding to fundamental questions of geometry. Combined with the ambiguous forms apparent in each sculpture, Cragg also prompts us to consider what it means to be amorphous or representational.

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James Capper exhibition Ripper Teeth in Action at Modern Art Oxford

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 09:48:34 +0100

Throughout August, a series of live performances of James Capper's sculptural machinery took place across the landscape of the Rose Hill Estate in Oxford, bringing to a close over three years of off-site commissions and residencies for Modern Art Oxford. An accompanying exhibition, which explores Capper's developmental process towards the machines and performances, was then held at the Modern Art Oxford project space, to great acclaim. One of Capper's mark making machines, Ripper, is currently on the grounds at the Cass Sculpture Foundation. Ripper is part of the series of floor-marking machines designed to physically 'rip' up its path - an example of Cappers interest and ability to combine both the aesthetics of the machine, and functionality in the sculpture's capacity a tool for making art. This series is a reflection of his interest in the experimental earthmoving machines developed by the inventor Robert Gilmour Le Tourneau in the 1960's, with Capper using skid plates developed by Le Tourneau to mount the Ripper on so it can drag itself along to create the earth marks.

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Brighton Dome & Festival Membership offer - exclusive to Cass Sculpture Foundation newsletter subscribers

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:41:28 +0100

As a special offer to all Cass newsletter subscribers, Brighton Dome and Festival would like to offer a 20% discount off the price of their membership. The Brighton Dome & Festival presents an eclectic, internationally acclaimed programme of over 700 shows and events per year. From chamber music to rock gigs, ballroom dance to experimental choreography, Shakespeare to interactive reality theatre, there's something for all tastes. This includes 200 shows and events at the iconic Brighton Festival each May - the largest arts festival of it's kind in England. Join the Brighton Dome and Festival Membership scheme and take advantage of year round savings and invitations to exclusive events. Benefits include: A free Brighton Festival ticket worth up to the value of £20 Priority booking for Brighton Festival events 20% off most Brighton Dome events outside Brighton Festival 20% off in the Brighton Dome bars 30% on parking at the Church Street NCP Car Park in Brighton Discounts from our partners such as Southern Railway, Terre a Terre, myhotel plus many more! Prices start from just £20 when paying by Direct Debit. To join using your 20% discount, simply call the Brighton Dome and Festival Members Hotline on 01273 260845 or the Brighton Dome Ticket Office on 01273 709709 and quote CASS20 at the time of purchase. To find out more about the benefits of becoming a member or to see what's on at Brighton Dome please visit their website at www.brightondome.org

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Declination goes to Edinburgh

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 10:14:43 +0100

Declination is now on loan to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art for their newest exhibition: Tony Cragg - Sculptures and Drawings, an exhibition which promises to be the highlight of the Gallery's 2011 summer programme. Tony Cragg: Sculptures and Drawings will concentrate mainly on monumental sculptures made by Tony Cragg since the mid-90s, but will also include a variety of significant earlier works, to give context to Cragg's more recent sculpture and to show the extraordinary breadth of Cragg's career and practice. There will also be a selection of some 100 drawings, watercolours and prints. Commissioned by the Cass Sculpture Foundation for the Chalk Pit 2005 - the only British outdoor exhibition of Tony Cragg's work to date - Declination has been loaned to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art for the duration of the exhibition. Further works by Cragg -Tongue in Cheek and Current Version - remain on display on the grounds of the Foundation. Both of these works, and Declination can all be purchased via the Foundation throughout the exhibition by contacting our Sales Executive Kate Pratt. Cragg won the Japanese Praemium Imperiale international art prize in 2007 and the Turner Prize in 1988, and has developed an impressive international reputation, including a series of successful exhibitions this year in Edinburgh, Venice, Dallas, Duisburg and Paris. TONY CRAGG: SCULPTURES AND DRAWINGS 30 July - 6 November 2011 Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, 75 Belford Road, Edinburgh, EH4 3DR www.nationalgalleries.org Admission £7/£5 Opening hours: 10am - 5pm 1st to 31st August - extended Edinburgh Festival hours: 10am-6pm With support from Marianne Holtermann Fine Art Ltd and The Henry Moore Foundation.

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Cass Sculpture Foundation Apps now available for free on the iTunes App Store

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:53:41 +0100

Sculpture on display at the Cass Sculpture Foundation has been chosen as some of the first artworks to feature on a series of new apps, developed by Artfinder, and launched last month in partnership with the Cass Sculpture Foundation and the Wallace Collection's Watteau exhibition. Artfinder has worked with the Foundation to create an two apps for iPad: Breaking the Mould and Breaking the Mould 2, which present some of the key works on display for sale at the Foundation, including sculpture by Tony Cragg, Bill Woodrow, James Capper and Eduardo Paolozzi. An app has also been developed for Eilís O'Connell's largest series of outdoor commissions to date - Biomorphia 1-8, which is on display at the Cass Sculpture Foundation's exclusive four-acre commissioning space, the Chalk Pit. Artfinder is an online organisation that has revolutionised the way consumers access art, by creating an online database for galleries, museums and artists to display their artworks to a worldwide audience. Their apps allow users to learn about artworks from across the world, instantly and from a single location, discovering new artists and exploring exhibitions and collections that they would not otherwise have had access to. Wilfred Cass, co-founder of the Cass Sculpture Foundation, is delighted with the collaboration: "We are very excited about the Foundation's partnership with Artfinder, and about the apps they've created for us. The experience of viewing and browsing through these beautiful, pin-sharp images of our monumental works on an iPad is hugely enjoyable. We hope that these apps will bring British Sculpture in the 21st Century to an even wider global audience, while providing a showcase for the work of the Foundation and the artists it supports." All apps are available for free in the iTunes App Store now. More Artfinder-powered artist and gallery apps – both offered free and sold commercially – will be released in the coming weeks and months. Biomorphia Breaking the Mould Breaking the Mould 2

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Sculpture of the Month - June 2011

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:53:41 +0100

Sculpture of the Month features the work of an artist, commissioned by the Cass Sculpture Foundation. It has been chosen by a respected professional of the art world as a strong example of British sculpture in the 21st century. The sculpture of the month for June is Diane Maclean's Open Book, selected by Nancy Durrant. Nancy Durrant is arts commissioning editor at The Times, and an art critic for the paper. She has served on the juries of several awards, including the inaugural Cass Prize for Sculpture, and is a presenter on the BBC's The Culture Show. Nancy studied English at UCL and resisted becoming a journalist for as long as possible, before succumbing in 2004 and discovering she quite liked it. She gets paid to go and look at art, which she believes is approaching the best job in the world. Nancy Durrant on Open Book "Sometimes an artwork can make you see the world anew. Diane Maclean's Open Book – inspired by a unique manuscript containing a bibliography of all known texts in Gaelic, which was handed down in the artist's family – does so immediately and with magic. Its giant mirrored pages are slightly curved, and colour your reflection in pinkish tones (an oxide layer on the surface); suddenly you are looking at yourself in another world. It's a little like seeing yourself in a film. The surrounding forest of the Cass estate looks thicker, darker, more mysterious; your own image becomes detached, like a figure on a screen and you see things behind you that you would never have noticed in passing - the way a shaft of sunlight illuminates a single tree. As I looked, I began to get the uncanny feeling that I was being watched. It may be rose-tinted, but it has dark depths."

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Bold Tendencies 5

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:53:41 +0100

Sponsored by the Cass Sculpture Foundation and Cass Art, Bold Tendencies is a non-profit summertime sculpture project dedicated to showcasing new art by international artists, held on the top four floors of a disused multi-storey car park in Peckham, South London. Opening on the 30th June, Bold Tendencies 5 includes 15 large-scale new works by young international artists - commissioned by a specially appointed Curatorial Council, which includes the Cass Sculpture Foundation Curator, Claire Shea. The featured artists for 2011 are: Eva Berendes, David Brooks, Mircea Cantor, James Capper, Rachael Champion Michael Dean, Jess Flood-Paddock, Lilah Fowler, Camille Henrot, Matt Keegan & James Richards, Kitty Kraus, Mamiko Otsubo, Bettina Pousttchi and The Bruce High Quality Foundation. Cass Sculpture Foundation and Cass Art are sponsoring a new Billboard Kiosk, designed and built by Practice Architecture, at the exhibition entrance, where information will be distributed about the sculptures and parallel programmes. In addition, Cass Art is sponsoring the Bold Tendencies education programme, which includes a sculpture trail for schools and families, with vouchers for Cass Art. The popular Frank's Cafe & Campari Bar, designed by Practice Architecture (Paloma Gormley & Lettice Drake), occupies a temporary building alongside the sculptures on the roof of the building. For 2011 Bold Tendencies has commissioned a new structure for the space - an Auditorium, built out of brass, gold and straw, sited between the concrete slabs of level 7 and 8. The organisers have developed a special relationship with Tiwani Contemporary in collaboration with CCA Lagos to bring the work of two young artists from Nigeria to London. Abraham Onoriode Oghobase and Emeka Ogboh will install works in response to the architecture of the car park and its surroundings. Bold Tendencies 5 is part of the 2011 'Year of Sculpture', initiated by the Henry Moore Foundation, and part of the Cultural Learning Alliance. This year will also see the launch of two free audience programmes - a wide-ranging Events Calendar and Education for children and young people. Bold Tendencies is supported by: Arts Council, England, Southwark Council, Franks Café, Cass Art, Cass Sculpture Foundation, Creative India, Kingston University School of Architecture and Landscape, HoganLovells, The Victoria Inn, German Embassy, ArtFinder, WeFund Open 30th June until the 30 September Thursday - Sunday 11am – 10pm Admission Free www.boldtendencies.com www.frankscafe.org.uk pictured, florian roithmayr: 'like thinking about last night when you wake up in the morning', courtesy florian roithmayr and motinternational

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Sculpture of the Month - May 2011

Tue, 31 May 2011 12:27:01 +0100

Sculpture of the Month features the work of an artist, commissioned by the Cass Sculpture Foundation. It has been chosen by a respected professional of the art world as a strong example of British sculpture in the 21st century. The sculpture of the month for May is Stephen Cox's Grand Peregrine, selected by Nigel Carrington. Nigel Carrington is the Rector of University of the Arts London, Europe's largest university for the study of art, design, fashion, communication and the performing arts. Nigel originally studied law at Oxford before spending 21 years as an international lawyer and 5 years as managing director at Mclaren, the automotive design group. Pursuing his lifelong passion for the arts, Nigel then studied Art History at the Courtauld Institute of Art between 2005 and 2007 before being appointed to his current position in 2008. Nigel Carrington on Grand Peregrine "Steven Cox's Grand Peregrine stands watchful, poised yet at the same time rooted in its woodland glade as firmly as it stands rooted in the aesthetics of earlier sculptural traditions. Imbued with the beliefs of ancient cultures and religions, Grand Peregrine was roughed out in Indian granite by stone carvers at Cox's studio in Mahabalipuram. But, whilst the work exhibits an intense preoccupation with the techniques and materials of Hindu carving, it combines a monumental Indian sensuality with the aesthetics of the Ancient Egyptians, with whose culture, materials and techniques Cox has also been deeply engaged: Grand Peregrine clearly owes a debt to the Ancient Egyptians' depiction of Horus, the Falcon God, a protective symbol of majesty and power. Yet, influenced as it is by these different techniques, histories and systems of belief, Grand Peregrine is also curiously contemporary in its abstraction, transcending time and cultures and eloquently expressing the universality of great sculpture."

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Mina Salimi | Mobile Language

Tue, 31 May 2011 11:44:10 +0100

The Cass Sculpture Foundation is forging a close partnership with the University of the Arts, London, with the aim of identifying and supporting the talent that is currently emerging from Britain's art schools through the Foundation's commissioning programme and the establishment of a high-profile sculpture prize. Our current Visitor Gallery exhibitions showcase work by graduating students from Chelsea College : Mina Salimi and nXt Platform. Mina Salimi | Mobile Language On now until the 15th August 2011 Mobile Language is an exhibition of maquettes and video by Mina Salimi, winner of the first ever CASS Prize in 2010. Salimi's body of work addresses repetition. Defined elements of specific proportions repeated in music, architecture, dance and literature bring harmony to the whole. In mobile language, Salimi seeks to explore the possibilities effected by these choreographed and composed repetitions. Whether it is the transformation of a form, of a state of mind, or of a meaning, repetition keeps phenomena alive -in a state of 'becoming'. It is with this in mind that Salimi has designed a series of kinetic objects that are not still, but ever-changing, they consist of repeated words, or mantras that are believed to create a magical transaction between subject and object. Salimi encourages viewers to interact with her work, solidifying the transaction between subject and object, rather than simply representing static geometric forms. The satisfying pairs and matches found in Salimi's work dictate the viewer's experience, the result of her attempt to achieve a poetic representation of 'golden sections' in her practice. The contemporary designs in Salimi's work reference repetitive religious rituals. By moving and rotating these objects, one can expect a transformation in one's state of mind, provided that it is performed with intent, just as a Buddhist does by rotating a Tibetan prayer wheel.

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Judith Cowan | Touching Earth and Sky

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 09:55:02 +0000

Touching Earth and Sky by Judith Cowan is now on display on the grounds of the Cass Sculpture Foundation. Cast in bronze, Touching Earth and Sky is formed of two vessels which are open, bare to the elements. These conical and curved forms act as receptacles for rain and snow, whilst tunnelling into the earth, creating a contrast in concepts which Cowan strives to explore throughout her body of work. A unique piece Made from bronze Standing 1.3m high please enquire for pricing information

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Modern British Sculpture at the Royal Academy

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 09:47:33 +0000

Saturday the 22nd January sees the opening of Modern British Sculpture at the Royal Academy. This exhibition examines British Sculpture in the 20th Century via a series of themed galleries, producing visual arguments as to what constitutes the terms 'British' and 'sculpture'. British sculpture is considered from within the British establishment and from an outsider's perspective. These sculptures are exhibited alongside works by over 120 artists of varying nationalities including Native American, Indian and African. Significant loans from both the British Museum and from the V&A sit alongside British sculpture from 1910 to 1930, highlighting the crucial role of the Empire informing British sculptural practice. Contemporary international influences are also considered with the inclusion of sculpture by artists such as Carl Andre, Jeff Koons and his British influencee Damien Hirst. This exhibition also examines the RA as an institution, instrumental in supporting the careers of British sculptors, as well as the role of London and its museums, long attractive to British sculptors. Modern British Sculpture explores this relationship, and the significance of the role of the RA, with a series of sculptures by three of its ex-Presidents including Phillip King, Frederic Leighton and Charles Wheeler. Modern British Sculpture runs from the 22nd January until the 7th April 2011 and features works by artists including Alfred Gilbert Queen Victoria, Phillip King Genghis Khan, Jacob Epstein Adam, Barbara Hepworth Single Form, Leon Underwood Totem to the Artist, Henry Moore Festival Figure, Anthony Caro Early One Morning, Richard Long Chalk Line, Julian Opie W and Damien Hirst Let's Eat Outdoors Today. Modern British Sculpture at the Royal Academy selected works Phillip King Genghis Khan, 1963 Painted plastic 170 x 245 x 365 cm Collection Peter Klimt © The Artist Bill Woodrow Electric Fire with Yellow Fish, 1981 Electric fire, enamel and acrylic paint 27 x 37 x 19 cm Waddington Galleries, London Photo courtesy Waddington Galleries, London © Bill Woodrow Anthony Caro Early One Morning, 1962 Painted steel and aluminium 289.6 x 619.8 x 335.5 cm Tate. Presented by the Contemporary Art Society Photo John Riddy / © Tate, London 2010 © Barford Sculptures Ltd / The artist

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Happy Holidays

Sat, 25 Dec 2010 09:31:10 +0000

We've survived the snow and ice and now it's time for all at the Cass Sculpture Foundation to relax enjoy the festive season. 2010 has been a great year for the Foundation. We have seen many exciting new arrivals to the grounds, including monumental works by Jon Isherwood, Gerry Judah, Eilís O'Connell, nXt Platform and Tony Cragg, as well as the Stone Project pieces, following their display at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and in Orkney. This year also saw the successful launch of the inaugural Cass Prize, awarded to a graduating student from the University of the Arts, London. This year's winner was Mina Salimi with her work Spell, which is currently on display on the Rootstein Hopkins Parade Ground at Chelsea College of Art and Design. Spell will be moving to the Foundation at the start of 2011. We would also like to take this opportunity to wish our numerous supporters a wonderful Christmas and New Year to thank them for their continued contribution to the success of the Foundation. Since inception, the Cass Sculpture Foundation has made its name as the leading commissioner of contemporary British sculpture, creating a growing legacy for the future of British sculpture through our rigorous commissioning processes and our ever-growing archive of maquettes and drawings. We look forward to further developing this in 2011 through continuing to focus on our large-scale sculpture plans for the Foundation and for London 2012 as well as through our extensive outreach and partnership programmes including the 2011 Cass Prize.

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Compositions - Michael Challenger

Sat, 4 Dec 2010 09:45:32 +0000

Compositions – a new collection of previously unseen works by Michael Challenger is now available to purchase at the Cass Sculpture Foundation. Compositions features twelve small-scale sculptures by Michael Challenger, a small selection of Challenger's impressive portfolio of op-art influenced sculpture that has resulted from a life-long exploration of geometry, shape, form and colour. Greatly influenced by Surrealist and Bauhaus principles, and particularly Josef Albers, the majority of Challenger's works are two dimensional geometric progressions, painted onto wood in a variety of colour combinations. According to Albers himself, art concerns the "knowledge and application of the fundamental laws of form", a principle Challenger has investigated via many different geometric compositions, generating varied and intriguing landscapes. The discrete, repeated forms and colours in these landscapes become almost like musical notes, echoing Paul Klee and Vassily Kandinsky's belief that music is analogous to abstract art. These are all unique pieces that would make wonderful Christmas gifts. The sculptures vary from two-dimensional colour-painted optical art through to three-dimensional white sculptures that change dramatically depending on light and spectator viewpoint. Ambitiously Grey painted wood 24 x 35 x 10 cm unique, £295 buy it now Divisable painted wood 31 x 27 x 10 cm unique, £295 buy it now Floating Plane painted wood 24 x 26 x 10 cm unique, £425 buy it now Forms Apart painted wood 32 x 25 x 10 cm unique, £425 buy it now Forms Together painted wood 29 x 32 x 19 cm unique, £295 buy it now Glancing painted wood 35 x 30 x 22 cm unique, £295 buy it now Group painted wood 22 x 29 x 10 cm unique, £295 buy it now Horizontal Movement painted wood 13 x 58 x 9 cm unique, £425 buy it now Parallel Spaces painted wood 22 x 32 x 10 cm unique, £295 buy it now Spire painted wood 40 x 20 x 18 cm unique, £295 buy it now Three Red Cubes painted wood 26 x 42 x 10 cm unique, £295 buy it now Three Openings painted wood 19 x 32 x 10 cm unique, £295 buy it now view more small sculpture for sale at the boutique prices are correct as of 4th December 2010.

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