Tag Archives: sculpture

By Moore it moved from Chelsea to near Tate Britain

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RECENTLY I NOTICED a sculpture close to Tate Britain but not within it.

When the Chelsea School of Art – now the Chelsea College of Art and Design – moved from Chelsea to Millbank next to Tate Britain, so did this sculpture by Henry Moore (1898-1986). Called “Two Piece Reclining Figure No 1” and created in 1959, this was originally placed in the Chelsea campus of the art school, where for a time in the 1930s Moore was Head of Sculpture. When the college relocated to Millbank, the Sculpture moved with it.

Masks of transgender faces and an artwork in London’s Trafalgar Square

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THERE ARE FOUR stone plinths on London’s Trafalgar Square. Three of them bear statues of noteworthy men of the past. The fourth plinth, which is at the northwest corner of the square, was destined to carry a statue of King William IV, but it was never placed there. For many years, the fourth plinth remained unused, but from 1999 onwards it became used to display works of art. Works are commissioned for the plinth, and remain displayed on it for, typically, a year or two. This year’s artwork, “Mil Veces un Instante” (‘A Thousand Times in an Instant’) is by the Mexican artist Teresa Margolles (born 1963).

At first sight, the sculpture looks like a rectangular box-like framework covered with white ovoid shells, rather like halves of easter eggs. On closer examination, these shapes look like the internal surfaces of moulds taken from faces. Indeed, that is what they are. As an article on Wikipedia explained:

“Casts of the faces of 850 trans people from London and around the world. The ‘life masks’ are arranged around the plinth in the form of a tzompantli, a skull rack from Mesoamerican”.

And a notice by the plinth informed the viewer that:

“The casts have been created by applying plaster directly onto the faces of participants, meaning that as well as recording their features the plaster is infused with their hair and skin cells … The material is important to the work, it is fragile and will deteriorate (although not disintegrate) over time. The fragility of the material is a reflection community, both fragile and strong. The material also has a tendency to pick up other materials into the work. The material retains traces of the participants such as eyelashes, eyebrows, skin cells, makeup etc, they are present in the work.”

Well, what was the artist trying to tell the viewer? On 22 December 2016, Karla, a trans-gender woman, was found murdered in a Mexican city. According to the information panel, the work on the plinth is both a memorial to Karla and an object to raise awareness of the violence and abuse faced by so many transgender and other gender non-conforming people around the world.

Unlike some of its predecessors on the fourth plinth, Margolles’s work, is not particularly visually striking. Its strength lies in the concept that led to its creation. It expresses a message, but it is not one that is at all obvious to the casual passer-by. If one does not read the information panel, this work would make little or no impression on those who happen to notice it. I hope that the next piece to occupy the plinth will be more eye-catching, even though the present one is full of good intention.

Fascinating artworks at a gallery in Cambridge

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ARTSPACE 5-7 IS A small gallery housed in a pre-WW2 Modernist building in Portugal Place, a side street that leads away from Bridge Street in the university town of Cambridge. We visited the gallery in August 2025, and viewed a collection of sculptures and drawings by the London born artist Richard Bray (born 1955). A few years after being awarded a degree in Photographic Arts at the Central London Polytechnic, he was awarded a degree in Fine Art at Norwich School of Art and Design. His exhibition at Cambridge is called “Visible Invisible”.

Whereas kinetic art depends on its movement for effect, Bray’s finely crafted sculptures and prints are static. However, as the viewer moves around his artworks, viewing them from different perspectives, what can be seen changes. Bray’s works seem to acquire internal movement that can only be perceived when the viewer moves past or around them. These effects, which add great beauty to his works, cannot be captured using still photography. Three of the sculptures were on display in the churchyard of St Clements opposite the gallery

Bray spent time in Tanzania during the 1980s. What he must have seen in the way of local design and crafts has clearly influenced the appearance of the works we saw in Cambridge. In fact, when I first entered the exhibition, I saw what I mistakenly thought was a collection of sculptures from Africa.

The gallery because of its Modernist design is worth seeking out when you visit Cambridge. The exhibition of Bray’s works, about which we knew nothing in advance, were refreshingly exciting to see.

A bird of the sea on wheels  in Folkestone

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THE MOBILE GULL APPRECIATION UNIT was created by Mark Dion in 2008 for the 2008 Creative Folkestone Triennial. On wheels, this enormous model of a seagull can be towed to different locations. The seagull can be entered and is used by people trying to persuade viewers to understand and appreciate gulls, which are often regarded as pests. Personally, I have nothing against these creatures.

Folkestone in Kent has become a town filled with art works. Every 3 years it hold an art festival, the Folkestone Triennale. This year it began two days ago. This is one of the permanent works.

Stark naked and crouching on a pedestal in London’s Mayfair

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MY PARENTS HAD a small collection of works of modern art in our home in London’s Hampstead Garden Suburb. These included an engraving by the Italian artist Emilio Greco (1913-1995). I have no idea where this image is now, but having grown up with it I was familiar with the artist’s name even if I knew nothing about him.

Today (14 July 2025) while walking near the Connaught Hotel in Mayfair, we passed a modern fountain, and close to it, a bronze sculpture of a naked woman, perched on a cylindrical stone pedestal. On the pedestal are carved the words: “A gift to the City of Westminster from the President of the Italian Republic. 20th November 1987. Sponsored by the Italian Bank in London.” The President at that time was Francesco Cossiga (1928-2010).  There was no mention of the creator of this artwork on the pedestal. However, at the base of the sculpture I could make out: “Emilio Greco 1977”. It had been made by the artist, whose engraving used to hang on the wall of our living room.

A website (https://pssauk.org/public-sculpture-of-britain/biography/greco-emilio/) provides some information about the artist, and his sculpture in Mayfair, which is a bronze casting of his sculpture “Crouching Figure No. 4”, created in 1973.  

The sculpture is a great addition to the area, and is sometimes referred to as ‘Mayfair Lady’!

Sculptures hidden by the mist in Bangalore

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When we arrived in Bangalore in November 2025, our friend Harsh, an architect and curator who is based in Ahmedabad, sent us a message about his exhibition in Bangalore at a gallery, of whose existence we had been hitherto unaware. The privately owned gallery is called KAASH. It is housed in a beautifully restored old-style bungalow such as were built (mostly) between the 1860s and 1930s. They are a colonial ‘take’ on English country cottages. The gallery’s bungalow at number 2 Berlie Street is complete with perfect examples of ‘monkey tops’ (screens of closely spaced vertical wooden slats placed over porches and windows).  

The exhibition that Harsh had curated at KAASH was a collection of contemporarily designed devotional objects, mainly diyas (oil lamps used on Hindu ceremonies). There were also some almost abstract depictions of Devi created by Jayshree Poddar, and a few items of folk art from various countries in Africa. The artworks were tastefully displayed in rooms within the bungalow.

In the garden surrounding the building, we saw several sculptures. As the sun set, a worker moved around the garden spraying a fumigating smoke that created an eery mist. The sculptures were temporarily partially hidden, becoming rather like peaks partially concealed by low clouds. Gradually, they reappeared as the insecticidal smoke dispersed. Having seen the KAASH gallery, we decided that it would become a place we visit whenever we happen to be in Bangalore.

Self portrait as a stack of books near London’s Barbican

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THE ARTIST ANDREW Salgado was born in Canada in 1982. He graduated at Chelsea College of Art with a Masters Degree in Fine Arts. He lives and works between London (England) and New Brunswick (Canada). Until 28 June 2025, there is a wonderful exhibition of his imaginative, colourful paintings at Beers gallery in Little Britain, close to the Barbican and Smithfield Market.

The exhibition has the artist’s chosen title “Self-portrait as a Stack of Books”. Several of the paintings on display and one sculpture portray books. Salgado is an avid reader, and he says he has been influenced by some of the authors he has read. Whether they contain books or not, his creations are intriguing and hint at confused imagery of dreams. As to the artist’s intentions in the collection of works at Beers, the gallery’s hand-out noted:

“Asking Salgado about the intentions, symbolism, or directive in this collection of paintings – because it’s obviously ripe with his (now) trademark imagery – he becomes deferential, ambiguous, and almost evasive about everything from idea to technique, to presentation, and even the compelling title piece: a rare venture into sculpture which seems – whether through its books or its chair, or its uncanny, discombobulated human parts – to reference the paintings and even the act of painting itself. But also books. Words. Memory. Fallability. That head at the apex is glass. It’s his.”

It is right that the artist is evasive. He leaves the enjoyment of interpretations of his works to the viewer, and that is admirably democratic.

If you have not come across Beers gallery already, it is always worth visiting their exhibitions. The works they display are often joyfully colourful and never dull.

Where there was wool there was wealth

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HADLEIGH IS A SMALL town in Suffolk (England). Like many towns in East Anglia, it was enriched by the wool trade in mediaeval times. Evidence of this included magnificent, cathedral-like churches and fine civic buildings. Hadleigh is no exception. Its fifteenth century half-timbered market hall (now a part of the town’s guildhall complex) is on one side of a graveyard that separates it from the south side of the large, fifteenth century parish church.

In one corner of graveyard there is a modern sculpture made of metal (mild steel). It depicts a sheep. Created by Benjamin Bramma, it was placed in the churchyard in 2015. That year, Hadleigh celebrated its rich heritage by holding a festival called “The Year of the Sheep”. As part of the festival, forty sheep were herded through the town.

The sculpture is a fitting tribute to the memory of the creatures that once brough wealth to Hadleigh.

The art of demolition in London’s Dering Street

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THE ANNELY JUDA Fine Art Gallery is currently in London’s Dering Street, but it will soon be moving to a new location in Mayfair’s Hanover Square. To celebrate the gallery’s forthcoming departure from Dering Street, its final exhibition at that address is called “Demolition”. It is a collection of artworks created by Tadashi Kawamata (born 1953 in Japan). He lives and works in Paris (France).

The name of the exhibition describes what the viewer will see: demolition. The artist has dismantled the gallery’s walls and panelling and used the fragments and debris from them to create a series of art works, which together make the gallery look like a building site. This might sound ridiculous, but the sculptural forms he created from the fragments of the gallery’s structure are both intriguing and exciting. It looks like someone had exploded a bomb within the gallery. However, certain elements remain untouched: cctv cameras, light switches, smoke detectors, and electrical sockets. Kawamata is well known for his site-specific creations. In addition to the sculptural ensembles that he created using the fabric of the gallery, there are several beautifully intricate three-dimensional maquettes of other projects the artist has planned or carried out.

Now, Annely Juda is a commercial gallery. I asked a member of its staff whether the amazing works that were on view in the gallery were for sale. He said that they are, and the artist will recreate the works for clients in their own spaces.

This amazingly unusual exhibition will continue until 5 July 2025.