20th century British sculpture

This essay offers the first detailed account of the Arts Council of Great Britain’s series of four 'Sculpture in the Home' exhibitions, which toured British municipal galleries in the late 1940s and 1950s. By presenting modern sculpture in simulated domestic settings, with furnishings selected by the Council of Industrial Design, the exhibitions encouraged visitors to purchase sculpture for their own homes. The essay identifies the types of sculpture shown, the untypically high proportion of female sculptors included and, through reproduction of unpublished exhibition plans and photographs, the unusual appearance of the exhibitions. It demonstrates that alongside the Arts Council’s early support of public sculpture and murals, it promoted the sale of small-scale domestic sculpture as another means by which art could have a place in the lives of ‘ordinary people’ (although in reality the price of most exhibits meant that purchase was restricted to the middle-classes). It analyses the aesthetic and social contexts for the growth of public and critical interest in the domestic function of modernist sculpture in that ‘home-centred society’ and thereby uncovers an aspect of post-war British sculpture long overshadowed by attention to its innovative forms of outdoor public display. The essay draws on the literature of post-war interior design, domestic space and gendered familial roles, and on archival research in the National Art Library, Tate Gallery Archive, and Design Council Archive. It was published to accompany the Henry Moore Institute’s exhibition, Sculpture in the Home: re-staging a post-war Initiative (2 Oct 2008 – 4 Jan 2009), in which the author recreated the appearance of the London-showings of the 1950 and 1953 exhibitions, attracting reviews in The Burlington Magazine, The Independent and The Yorkshire Post.

This paper assesses the extent to which émigré sculptors from central and eastern Europe benefited from new sources of institutional patronage in early post-Second World War ‘New Britain’. It demonstrates that many of those who settled there between 1933 and 1948 – most escaping racial, religious and political persecution – attracted support from government agencies and/or local authority departments. Works by Belsky, Charoux, Ehrlich, Fleischmann, Gordine, Henghes, Nimptsch, Peri, Soukop, Vogel and others were selected for public exhibition and permanent siting in or on public buildings and residential estates, suggesting that a combination of comprehensible imagery, moderately modernist style, and early experience of architectural or commemorative work, were especially valued by institutional patrons. Their numerous commissions for the Festival of Britain are especially notable, given the xenophobic and anti-Semitic attacks before the war on Epstein’s sculpture. Yet early success with bodies such as the London County Council and Arts Council of Great Britain contrasted conspicuously with the initially more tempered response of the Royal Academy of Arts and the permanent and almost total neglect of the British Council, leading this paper to ask why the embrace of these sculptors shifted in successive decades between different sections of the post-war institutional art establishment.

This paper examines the use of sculpture in the South Bank Exhibition of the 1951 Festival of Britain. The Festival marks the first occasion that the British state patronised public sculpture on a significant scale without the imperative of commemoration.  Most of the sculpture was displayed in and around the buildings of the Exhibition and represents an historic attempt to unify sculpture and architecture within an extended urban environment, thereby acting as a prototype for post-war Reconstruction.  However, just as the Exhibition’s architecture tends to be remembered for one untypically futuristic building - Tubbs’ Dome of Discovery - so the sculpture has tended to be misleadingly characterised by the most controversial ‘abstract’ pieces.  Misconceptions about the sculpture have been fuelled by several factors: a lack of certainty over the number and character of the sculpture displayed, the disproportionate critical attention given to works by Hepworth and Moore, and the widespread dispersal or destruction of sculpture after the Festival.  This essay is the first to give a comprehensive account of sculpture at the Exhibition and shows that the majority of the thirty or so sculptures displayed - like most of the buildings, layout and landscaping - conformed to a moderate and populist modern aesthetic.  It also reveals the extent to which the types of sculpture displayed reflected the aspirations and values of the two separate sources of state patronage: the Arts Council of Great Britain, which commissioned Hepworth and Moore, and the Festival of Britain Office, which was responsible for acquiring almost all other sculpture.  The latter were selected by the Festival Design Group – a team of architects, town-planners and designers – who shared a predilection for Picturesque ‘townscape’ in which sculpture remained essentially subservient to architecture.  Their attitudes are compared to those of the Arts Council and of more radical modernist sculptors, like Moore, who placed greater value on sculpture’s autonomy, thereby producing tensions within the triangular relationship of sculptors and commissioning bodies. Given that the Festival was intended as a celebration of national identity, this new account of the sculpture at the South Bank also reveals that it reaffirmed contemporary notions of Britishness/Englishness. Based on extensive archival study, the essay develops and expands research initiated for my curatorship of the exhibition Symbols for ’51: the Royal Festival Hall, Skylon, and Sculptures for the Festival of Britain at the Royal Festival Hall, South Bank Centre, London, in 1996. The article is the only one on the visual arts in this special issue of the Twentieth Century Architecture journal that provides the first overview of the Festival since Banham’s and Hillier’s A Tonic to the Nation: the Festival of Britain 1951 (Thames & Hudson, 1976).

Котломанов А.О. "Пророческая фигура". Джекоб Эпстайн и проблема религиозного образа в истории современной скульптуры // Научные труды (Институт им. И. Е. Репина). 2015. № 33. С. 185—198.
Kotlomanov A.O. "Prophetic figure". Jacob Epstein and the problem of religious images in the history of modern sculpture. Scientific Works (I.E. Repin Institute), 2015, N 33, pp. 185—198 (In Russian).
The article analyzes some works of British sculptor Jacob Epstein (1880—1959), made on religious themes. Mostly, it describes the circumstances of the creation of the statue of The Risen Christ (1917—1919), its perception by the public and critics. Some important evidences of the time are translated into Russian, excerpts from newspaper and magazine publications, included in the Epstein’s book “Let there be sculpture”. Considered and his later works, finishing the theme begun in the statue of The Risen Christ. The final conclusions of the article related to the characteristics of the role of Epstein in the history of the XX century sculpture, his importance for the modern British art.

Котломанов А.О. Скульптура Генри Мура в контексте проблематики современного монумента // Актуальные проблемы теории и истории искусства: сборник статей. 2013. Вып. 3. С. 491—495
Kotlomanov A.O. Sculpture of Henry Moore in the context of the problems of modern monument. Actual Problems of Theory and History of Art, 2013, issue 3, pp. 491-495 (In Russian).
The article analyzes the work of renowned British sculptor Henry Moore. The main topic of consideration — Moore's experiments to create large-size sculptures to be installed in the public space. The sequence of the sculptor’s treatment to such forms is analyzed in aggregate with reference to the works of some theorists of modern sculpture and art critics, whose position in relation to the modern monument has in the 1950s and 80s a broad resonance. The final conclusions of the article related to the formulation of the role of monumental sculpture in the work of Moore in general, and with the statement that the success of his most successful large-format works closely related to the ideal setting — with the space of nature.

The first publication in a series of three articles devoted to the memory of Anthony Caro (1924—2013), one of the last great sculptors of the XX century. Gaining fame in the 1960s, he entered the history of art as an inspirer of the “new generation” — a group of British sculptors who were mostly his students. The publication traces the evolution of Caro’s work in the 1950s — 1960s, from early expressionistic sculptures to his famous abstract compositions. It also explores the origins of his perception of abstract sculpture in theoretical and practical context, analyzes the ideas of Clement Greenberg and art methods of American sculptor David Smith. Special attention is paid to the artistic program of the “new generation” and its relationship with the American minimalism.

Первая публикация в серии из трех статей, посвященных памяти Энтони Каро (1924—2013), одного из последних скульпторов XX века. Получив известность в 1960-е гг., он вошел в историю искусства как идейный вдохновитель «нового поколения» — группы английских скульпторов, бывших в основном его учениками. В публикации прослеживается эволюция творчества Каро в 1950-е — 1960-е гг., начиная от ранних экспрессионистических скульптур и заканчивая абстрактными композициями. Исследуются истоки его понимания абстрактной скульптуры в теоретическом и практическом контексте. Анализируются идеи Клемента Гринберга и художественный метод американского скульптора Дэвида Смита. Уделяется внимание художественной программе «нового поколения» и ее взаимосвязи с американским минимализмом. Итоговые выводы статьи связаны с размышлениями о глубоко индивидуальном характере творчества Каро, его личном пути в современной скульптуре.

Kotlomanov A.O. "New British Sculpture" and the Russian art context — "Новая британская скульптура" и российский художественный контекст // Вестн. С.-Петерб. гос. ун-та. Сер. 15. Искусствоведение. 2016. Вып. 3. С. 38—48.
The article examines the works of leading representatives of the " New British Sculpture " Tony Cragg and Antony Gormley. The relevance of the text is related to Tony Cragg's recent retrospective at the Hermitage Museum. Also it reviews the circumstances of realizing the 2011 exhibition project of Ant-ony Gormley at the Hermitage. The problem is founded on the study of the practice of contemporary sculpture of the last thirty years. The author discusses the relationship of art and design and the role of the financial factors in contemporary art culture. The text is provided with examples of individual theoretical and self-critical statements of Tony Cragg and Antony Gormley. It makes a comparison of the Western European art context and Russian tendencies in this field as parallel trends of creative thinking. Final conclusions formulate the need to revise the criteria of art theory and art criticism from the point of recognition of new commercial art and to determine its role in the culture of our time. Refs 5. Figs 7.

This essay connects the British sculptor Henry Moore’s commitment to carving sculpture out-of-doors and exhibiting it in urban parks and rural landscape to his wider interest in outdoor leisure pursuits, such as rambling and sunbathing. It associates Moore’s aesthetic and recreational preferences with his childhood in industrially polluted Yorkshire, and to the ideological significance of the ‘open air’ in mid-century Britain, especially to debates around public health and access to the countryside. It argues that even the open forms and reclining figure theme characteristic of Moore’s sculpture may be related to the contemporary cult of the open air. The essay is an extended and revised version of a paper delivered to the ‘Place-Body-Script: Contemporary Views of Henry Moore’ conference at the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts, University of East Anglia, Norwich, in 1998. The book was published in the UK and USA, and represents a significant critical intervention in Moore scholarship.

Review of 'Heinz Henghes' exhibition, Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham, London, 2006; Mark De Novellis, 'Heinz Henghes: A Sculptor’s Art', exh. cat., Eothea, London, 2006; 'Heinz Henghes (1906-1975): Retrospective exhibition of sculpture and works on paper', England & Co, London, 2006

The third and final article in a series dedicated to the memory of the outstanding British sculptor Anthony Caro (1924—2013). The article examines the period of Caro’s work from early 1980s to early 2010s. At this time his attitude to plastic form is undergoing significant changes as compared to the 1960—1970s, when he was perceived as one of the leaders of abstract sculpture. His major later works — large-scale installations that use all kinds of materials, including metal, wood and stone. The publication analyzes the most significant works of Caro executed since the 1980s, and discusses the general trends in the art of this period. Final conclusions related to the definition of creativity originality Caro, clarifying his outstanding role in the history of modern sculpture and contemporary art.

Третья, заключительная публикация в серии статей, посвященных памяти выдающегося английского скульптора Энтони Каро (1924—2013). В статье анализируется период в творчестве Каро начала 1980-х — начала 2010-х гг. В это время отношение Каро к объемно-пластическому образу претерпевает значительные изменения по сравнению с 1960—1970-ми гг., когда он воспринимался одним из лидеров абстрактной скульптуры. Его главные поздние произведения — масштабные инсталляции, где используются всевозможные материалы, включая металл, дерево и камень. В публикации предпринимается анализ наиболее значительных произведений британского скульптора, выполненных, начиная с 1980-х гг., а также рассматриваются общие тенденции в искусстве данного периода. Итоговые выводы публикации связаны с определением своеобразия творчества Каро, уточнением его выдающейся роли в истории современной скульптуры и современного искусства.

review of ‘Anthony Caro’ exhibition, Tate Britain, 2005; I. Barker, 'Anthony Caro: Quest for the New Sculpture', Lund Humphries, 2004; J. Bryant, 'Anthony Caro: A Life in Sculpture', Merrell, 2005; P. Moorhouse [ed.] 'Anthony Caro', Tate, 2005

Котломанов А.О. Генри Мур и английская религиозная скульптура XX века — Henry Moore and British religious sculpture of the 20th century // Дом Бурганова. Пространство культуры. 2015. № 3. С. 147—159.
The article discusses some works of Henry Moore in the context of the British religious sculpture of 20 th century. The author provides an analytical overview of the most significant phenomena of this artistic process, allocated with individual names and works. Personality of Henry Moore stands in the overall context because of universality of his creative ideas, the concept of individual plastic archetypal image. In the article accented two sculptures by Henry Moore, made in the 1940s and 1980s and installed in the interiors of Christian churches. The author describes their imagery in the context of trends common to the artist, specified their role in the evolution of Henry Moore art and in the history of sculpture of the twentieth century.

This essay traces the formal development of post-war British sculpture, from the expressionistic figuration of the 1950s, through the formalist abstraction of the 1960s, to the Conceptualist transgressions of the early 1970s. To account for the meanings of these forms it identifies key critical voices in each period and explains how changing aesthetic precepts were influenced by philosophical and critical standpoints informed by existentialism, humanism, formalism, and phenomenology. It also connects the dominance of specific aesthetic forms and meanings to broader ideological changes. The essay was commissioned for the first history of 20th century British sculpture to be published since the landmark catalogue that accompanied the Whitechapel Art Gallery’s 1981 exhibition, British Sculpture in the Twentieth Century, and draws on much new scholarship. It replaces the conventional survey approach with essays on five contexts in which sculpture was produced and interpreted in each of the four 25-year periods constituting the century. The twenty commissioned authors include many leading authorities on British sculpture, such as Margaret Garlake (editor of The Sculpture Journal and formerly Courtauld Institute of Art), Chris Stephens (Tate Britain) and Anne M. Wagner (University of California, Berkeley).

The second publication in a series of three articles devoted to the memory of the outstanding British sculptor Anthony Caro. The article examines the period of Caro’s work of late 1960s — 1970s. During this time he began to develop new sculpture techniques largely opposed his previous ideas about the shape and volume. Moreover, in his new works was evident even appeal to the traditional understanding of the surface and material. The publication analyzes some typical Caro’s works of that time and discusses theoretical views of his followers, particularly William Tucker. As a result, it is concluded that the 1970s works of Caro were rather a transitional stage in his future treatment to radically new forms in sculpture, primarily — to installation.

Вторая публикация в серии из трех статей, посвященных памяти выдающегося английского скульптора Энтони Каро. В статье анализируется период в творчестве Каро конца 1960-х — 1970-х гг. В это время в его скульптуре проявили себя черты, позволившие говорить об изменении отношения Каро к абстрактному искусству. Более того, в новых произведениях мастера видели даже обращение к традиционному пониманию объема и материала. В публикации проводится анализ некоторых характерных работ Каро данного времени, а также рассматриваются теоретические воззрения его учеников, в частности Уильяма Такера. В итоге делается вывод о том, что работы Каро 1970-х гг. были скорее переходным этапом в его будущем обращении к принципиально новым формам в скульптуре, прежде всего — к инсталляции.