{"id":737,"date":"2011-01-22T17:20:12","date_gmt":"2011-01-22T17:20:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/plainenglish\/wp\/2011\/01\/modern_british_sculpture.html"},"modified":"2011-01-22T17:20:12","modified_gmt":"2011-01-22T17:20:12","slug":"modern_british_sculpture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/plainenglish\/2011\/01\/modern_british_sculpture.html","title":{"rendered":"Modern British Sculpture?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; \"><span><o:p><br class=\"Apple-interchange-newline\" \/>&nbsp;<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; \"><span>The exhibition called &#8220;Modern British Sculpture&#8221; that opened at the Royal Academy today (until 7 April) is a fraud.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; \"><span><span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span>It&#8217;s one of those shows intended to illustrate a theory or make an argument. Its publicity claims: &#8220;the exhibition takes a fresh approach, replacing the traditional survey with a provocative set of juxtapositions that challenge the viewer&nbsp;<i>to make new connections<\/i>&nbsp;and break the mould of old conceptions&nbsp;<i>[my emphasis]<\/i>.&#8221; The trouble is that the &#8220;new connections&#8221; are so desperately old hat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0cm; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; \"><span><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/7\/70\/%27Roaring_Lion%27%2C_bronze_sculpture_by_Lynn_Chadwick_%28British%29%2C_1960%2C_Israel_Museum%2C_Jerusalem%2C_Israel.JPG\/800px-%27Roaring_Lion%27%2C_bronze_sculpture_by_Lynn_Chadwick_%28British%29%2C_1960%2C_Israel_Museum%2C_Jerusalem%2C_Israel.JPG\" alt=\"File:'Roaring Lion', bronze sculpture by Lynn Chadwick (British), 1960, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel.JPG\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><br \/>\n<meta name=\"Title\" content=\"\"><br \/>\n<meta name=\"Keywords\" content=\"\"><br \/>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><br \/>\n<meta name=\"ProgId\" content=\"Word.Document\"><br \/>\n<meta name=\"Generator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 2008\"><br \/>\n<meta name=\"Originator\" content=\"Microsoft Word 2008\">\n<link rel=\"File-List\" href=\"file:\/\/localhost\/Users\/paullevy\/Library\/Caches\/TemporaryItems\/msoclip\/0clip_filelist.xml\">\n<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>\n<o:DocumentProperties>\n<o:Template>Normal.dotm<\/o:Template>\n<o:Revision>0<\/o:Revision>\n<o:TotalTime>0<\/o:TotalTime>\n<o:Pages>1<\/o:Pages>\n<o:Words>531<\/o:Words>\n<o:Characters>3030<\/o:Characters>\n<o:Company>Isishome Ltd<\/o:Company>\n<o:Lines>25<\/o:Lines>\n<o:Paragraphs>6<\/o:Paragraphs>\n<o:CharactersWithSpaces>3721<\/o:CharactersWithSpaces>\n<o:Version>12.0<\/o:Version>\n<\/o:DocumentProperties>\n<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>\n<o:AllowPNG\/>\n<\/o:OfficeDocumentSettings>\n<\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>\n<w:WordDocument>\n<w:Zoom>0<\/w:Zoom>\n<w:TrackMoves>false<\/w:TrackMoves>\n<w:TrackFormatting\/>\n<w:PunctuationKerning\/>\n<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt<\/w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>\n<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt<\/w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>\n<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0<\/w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>\n<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0<\/w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>\n<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas\/>\n<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false<\/w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>\n<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false<\/w:IgnoreMixedContent>\n<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false<\/w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>\n<w:Compatibility>\n<w:BreakWrappedTables\/>\n<w:DontGrowAutofit\/>\n<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables\/>\n<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx\/>\n<\/w:Compatibility>\n<\/w:WordDocument>\n<\/xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>\n<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState=\"false\" LatentStyleCount=\"276\">\n<\/w:LatentStyles>\n<\/xml><![endif]--><\/p>\n<style>\n<!--\n\/* Font Definitions *\/\n@font-face\n{font-family:Cambria;\npanose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;\nmso-font-charset:0;\nmso-generic-font-family:auto;\nmso-font-pitch:variable;\nmso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}\n\/* Style Definitions *\/\np.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\n{mso-style-parent:\"\";\nmargin:0cm;\nmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\nmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\nfont-size:14.0pt;\nmso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;\nfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\nmso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;\nmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;\nmso-bidi-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";\nmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;\nmso-ansi-language:EN-US;}\n@page Section1\n{size:595.0pt 842.0pt;\nmargin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;\nmso-header-margin:35.4pt;\nmso-footer-margin:35.4pt;\nmso-paper-source:0;}\ndiv.Section1\n{page:Section1;}\n-->\n<\/style>\n<p><!--[if gte mso 10]>\n\n\n<style>\n\/* Style Definitions *\/\ntable.MsoNormalTable\n{mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\";\nmso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;\nmso-tstyle-colband-size:0;\nmso-style-noshow:yes;\nmso-style-parent:\"\";\nmso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;\nmso-para-margin:0cm;\nmso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;\nmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\nfont-size:12.0pt;\nfont-family:\"Times New Roman\";\nmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\nmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\nmso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\";\nmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;\nmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\nmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\nmso-ansi-language:EN-US;}\n<\/style>\n\n\n<![endif]--><br \/>\n<!--StartFragment--><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"mso-tab-count:1\">&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span>OK,<br \/>\nroom 2, &#8220;Theft by Finding&#8221; has lots of lovely African, Native American, Mexican<br \/>\nand Etruscan objects, such as we expect to find in the British Museum and the<br \/>\nV&amp; A. You mean Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, F.E. Mc William and Leon<br \/>\nUnderwood were influenced by seeing these artifacts? Well I never! You could<br \/>\nknock me over with a feather.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\"><span style=\"mso-tab-count:1\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span>And<br \/>\nthat there&#8217;s something in common between Carl Andr\u00e9 and Richard Long? Or<br \/>\nbetween Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst? No! You astonish me. There is no reason<br \/>\nwhatever for Andr\u00e9&#8217;s installation and Koons&#8217;s (now tatty-looking) piece to be<br \/>\nrepresented in this show, except fatuity and fashion (last year&#8217;s, at that).<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\"><span style=\"mso-tab-count:1\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span>You<br \/>\ncan see why, at one of the many private views of this appalling show, an<br \/>\neminent, older British artist told me how worried he was that the co-curator,<br \/>\nPenelope Curtis&#8217;s day job is as the new Director of Tate Britain.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\"><span style=\"mso-tab-count:1\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span>I<br \/>\ncan see why he&#8217;s nervous. We all accept that this exhibition is not a<br \/>\n&#8220;traditional survey&#8221; (though could someone please remind me when was the last<br \/>\ntraditional survey of modern British sculpture on the scale of this show?). But<br \/>\nlook at this on page 16 of Dr. Curtis&#8217;s heavyweight catalogue. She is writing<br \/>\nabut Henry Moore&#8217;s world-wide celebrity and international demand for his work<br \/>\nfollowing his success at the 1948 Venice Biennale: &#8220;A pattern established<br \/>\nthrough the demand for Moore was continued in the 1950s and 1960s with Reg<br \/>\nButler, Kenneth Armitage and Lynn Chadwick&#8230;&#8221; According to her index, this is<br \/>\nthe only mention of these three major British sculptors in the entire 316-page<br \/>\nvolume; and there is not a single work by any of them in her show.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\"><span style=\"mso-tab-count:1\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span>I<br \/>\nknew Armitage slightly and, to disclose an irrelevant interest, Lynn Chadwick<br \/>\nand I were close friends in the 1970s. Speaking <i style=\"mso-bidi-font-style:\nnormal\">sub specie aeternitatis<\/i>, it would have added a good deal more to<br \/>\nthe sum of human knowledge (and possibly even to human enjoyment) if the RA had<br \/>\nmounted a large retrospective\/survey of those three artists, or of British<br \/>\nsculpture of the 60s-80s, including a good deal more of the early work of Barry<br \/>\nFlanagan (of which there is one strong, but unrepresentative piece in this<br \/>\nfeeble show).<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"mso-ansi-language:EN-GB\"><span style=\"mso-tab-count:1\">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span>Just<br \/>\nto remind younger &#8211; or unfamiliar readers: Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003) came first<br \/>\nto public attention when he was commissioned to make three works for the<br \/>\nFestival of Britain (1951), and was one of the sculptors characterised by<br \/>\nHerbert Read as evoking the &#8220;geometry of fear.&#8221; He showed to great acclaim at<br \/>\nthe Venice Biennale of 1952 and in 1956 won the Biennale International Prize<br \/>\nfor Sculpture, beating Alberto Giacometti.<span style=\"mso-spacerun:\nyes\">&nbsp; <\/span>Though the British art establishment reacted to this British<br \/>\ntriumph by neglecting him from the 1970s until he died, his work continued to<br \/>\nsell well, especially abroad. A couple of years ago a piece of his broke the<br \/>\n\u00a31million barrier. There is a retrospective of his work on the theme of<br \/>\n&#8220;Couples&#8221; recently opened at the Pangolin Gallery in King&#8217;s Cross. I understand<br \/>\nthat one of the pieces in it has a \u00a31m price tag. I wish I owned one of the<br \/>\n&#8220;Beasts,&#8221; the near-abstract lion\/dog\/wolf-like creatures cast in bronze that<br \/>\nprompted Read&#8217;s brilliant description.<o:p><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; The exhibition called &#8220;Modern British Sculpture&#8221; that opened at the Royal Academy today (until 7 April) is a fraud. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It&#8217;s one of those shows intended to illustrate a theory or make an argument. Its publicity claims: &#8220;the exhibition takes a fresh approach, replacing the traditional survey with a provocative set of juxtapositions that challenge [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-737","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized","7":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbv6zV-bT","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/plainenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/plainenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/plainenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/plainenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/plainenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/plainenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/737\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/plainenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/plainenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/plainenglish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}