“In an êj ẃr ɖ slfportrit hz arğbli bcm wn v ɖ most popylr viźl źãṛz, nt līst ʈru ɖ rîz v ɖ slfi, ɖs xbiśn sīcs t inrić âr undstandñ v its pârfl funẋn in śêpñ îdiyz v ɖ slf n îdentti”
Lucian Freud: Reflection (Self-Portrait), 1985. Oil on canvas, 22 x 19 7/8 in. (56 x 50.7cm.)
“Đ funḍmntl îdiyz r bêst on drw̃, n gd drw̃ z fr m ɖ abiḷti t repriznt ʈri-dmnśnl form in spês, on a flat srfis – phps ɖt z ẃ I ʈnc ɖt sculptrz śd b īvn mr cnsrnd wɖ biyñ ebl t drw ɖn pêntrz” Henri Mur, 1978
Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, Wrestlers, 1913 (cast 1963), herculite. The Sherwin Collection, Leeds.
Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, Wrestlers, 1913, linocut. Wakefield Council Permanent Art Collection.
Gertrude Hermes, Fish, 1932, wood engraving. Wakefield Council Permanent Art Collection.
Gertrude Hermes, Frogs II, 1947, bronze. The Sherwin Collection, Leeds.
Stanley William Hayter, Danse du Soleil, 1951, etching and engraving. Wakefield Council Permanent Art Collection.
Naum Gabo, Construction in Space with Rose Marble Carving (Variation No. 2), 1969, rose marble and Perspex. Image courtesy of Annely Juda Fine Art.
Naum Gabo, Opus 3, 1950, wood-engraving. Courtesy of Alan Cristea Gallery.
Barbara Hepworth, Three Forms, 1969, lithograph. Wakefield Council Permanent Art Collection.
Barbara Hepworth, Two Forms with White (Greek), 1963, Guarea wood. Wakefield Council Permanent Art Collection.
“Born in Caslfd, West Ywcšr, Henri Mur (1898–1986) z wn v ɖ most impwtnt artists v ɖ 20ʈ senčri. Đs mêjr xibišn, in c̣laḅrešn wɖ Ɖ Henri Mur Fândešn, têcs a freš aproč t Mur’z wrc bî cnsidrñ hiz pṛfând rlešnšp wɖ land, wč wz funḍmntl t hiz practis n fyld hiz vižl vcabylri.”
Ɖ mistri v ẇt z undr ɖ šrâd z smẇt acin t ɖ mistri in powtri. It z ɖs eḷmnt v ɖ uņon ɖt fasinets m in cevz n ɖ houlz in ɖ sîdz v hilz – y d’nt nô ẇt z ɖr untl y lc n xplor intu ɖm. Mistri plez a lj n inlîvnñ pāt in âr lîvz; nt nwñ bt wntñ t nô, wundrñ n gesñ, qesčnñ n xplorñ. (Henri Mur, 1974)
A fândñ pêtṛn v YSP, Mur wz cmitd t šowñ hiz wrc in ɖ ôpn er, n in ɖ rolñ hilz v ɖ fwmr Dírpāc in ptklr.
Ɖ xibišn nt onli xplorz ɖ ātist’s radicl nošn v plêsñ sculpčr in ɖ landscep – lj-scêl sculpčrz grīt ɖ vizitr on arîvl at ɖ Pāc n r dspled agnst ɖ bytifl n historic visṭz v ɖ Boʈīgādn – bt ɖ impwtns v ŕʈ in Mur’z crietv ʈncñ. Āčroc, Îsbrg, Roci Landscep n nymṛs uɖr drōñz, sm rerli sīn in public, alñ wɖ a renj v sculpčrz xplorñ scêl n ɖ inṭple btwn intrnl n xtrnl spêsz, emfsîz ɖ ātist’s constnt invstigešn v land, fṛm ɖ blac colsìmz v hiz homtân n ɖ rič jioḷji v Britn, t ɖ mistcl ênčnt fwmz v Stônhenj.
Ɖ xibišn olso priznts an oṗtyṇti t xplor ɖ man bhnd ɖ practis wɖ a cerfli ṣlctd dsple v prsnl āṭfacts, nôts, scečz n fôṭgrafs, kretd in c̣laḅrešn wɖ ɖ ātist’s dwtr, Mẹri Mur.
“Ɖs z ɖ frst mêjr xibišn fr ovr fortīfîv yirz v ɖ wrc v ɖ Britiš ātist Lion Unḍwd (1890-1975). Dscrîbd az ɖ pricrsr v modn sculpčr in Britn, h wz a significnt inflụns on ātists sč az Îlīn Êgar, Bābra Hepwrʈ n Henri Mur. In a pirı̣d ẇr mni ātists wr drwn t abstraẋn, ɖ hymn figr rmend at ɖ hāt v Unḍwd’z wrc ʈrt hiz c̣rir.
Pamela Booth (dates unknown), Leon Underwood with Violin Rhythm, c.1934, Black and white photograph Private collection
Olɖo phps bst nôn az a sculptr, Unḍwd olso wrct az a pêntr n printmêcr. Unḍwd’z xūbṛnt lîfdrōñz brôc fri fṛm ɖ ac̣demic tṛdišnz v ātscūlz, n at hiz ôn Brŭcgrīn Scūl v Āt h inspîrd a jeṇrešn v Britiš ātists, n wz t b a drîvñ fws in wŭdingrevñ v ɖ 1920z n 30z. Hiz travlz in Mexico n West Africa, az wel az hiz c̣lẋnz v non-westn āt, wr t līd t ɖ criešn v a dvrs bodi v sculpčrz, pêntñz, prints n drōñz n ɖz wr t intṛdys a vîtl n riɖmic eṇji intu Modn Britiš āt. Ɖ xibišn čāts ɖ dveḷpmnt v Unḍwd’z wrc fṛm ŕli pêntñz bêst on hiz xpirı̣nsz az a caṃflāžātist in ɖ Frst Wrldwor t hiz bronzsculpčrz on fiḷsoficl ʈīmz crietd in ɖ 1950z n 1960z.
Ɖ xibišn includz ovr 100 wrcs fṛm prîvt c̣lẋnz n public myziymz, includñ ɖ Ašmôlı̣n Myziym, ɖ Impirı̣l Wormyziym, Līdz Myziymz n Ātgaḷriz, n ɖ Našnl Pwtritgaḷri. It z acumṗnid bî a fŭli iḷstretd caṭlog aveḷbl fṛm ɖ Gaḷri Bcšop, n a prôgram v twcs, turz n crietv wrcšops. In Rūm 17 ɖr z a cómpḷmntri dsple Wŭdingrevñ n ɖ Brŭcgrīn Scūl: Îlīn Êgar, Grtrūd Hrmīz, Bler Hyz-Stantn, Henri Mur n ɖer Cntmprriz.”
Leon Underwood, Mary, Lizzie, John and Garth, 1919–20 Tempera on board Private collection
Granny Ashdown, 1922. Etching on paper
Venus in Kensington Gardens, 1921. Oil on canvas
Reclining Model in the Studio, c. 1920-2. Tempera on board
Untitled (Foetus), 1924–5
Pharoah’s Icon (also known as Caesar and Slave), 1925. Wood engraving on paper
Two Musicians, c.1925. Watercolour and pencil on paper
Chacmoolocos Destiny, 1929. Oil on canvas
Cover design for The Island, 1931. Wood engraving on paper, 20 x 16 cm
“Fīčrñ wrcs bî ātists includñ Picaso, Henri Mur, Edẉd Bura, Windm Luis n Jon Āmstroñ, amñst uɖrz, ɖs xibišn wl rvil hâ a jeṇrešn v Britiš ātists wr drwn intu ɖ Spaniš Sivl Wor. Ẇl mni went t fît in ɖ wor ɖmslvz, uɖrz crietd pôstrz campenñ fr êd fr refyjīz, or crietd wrcs ɖt md firs ṗlitcl stêtmnts.
Ɖ Spaniš Sivl Wor (1936–9) wz wn v ɖ most significnt conflicts v ɖ twentiiʈ senčri. Ẇl Britiš litrri riaẋnz t ɖ conflict hv bn mč xamind, ɖs xibišn, in pātnršp wɖ Paḷnt Hâs Gaḷri, z ɖ frst t xplor ɖ rspons v Britiš vižl ātists.
Ɖ Spaniš Sivl Wor wz fwt btwn ɖ Spaniš Rpublic n a rebl Našnlist fws, led bî Jenṛl Franco. It ynîtd ɖ abstract n riylist ātists v ɖ tîm t criet a dvrs ātistc rspons t ɖ fît agnst fasizm.
Wn v ɖ most fems wrcs on šo z Picaso’z Wīpñ Wmn (1937.) Ɖs z on dsple alñsd mtirı̣l dītêlñ ɖ impact in Britn v ɖ ātist’s îconic pêntñ, Guernica, ẇč travld t ɖ YC in 1938.
Ɖ xibišn includz lounwrcs fṛm bʈ public n prîvt c̣lẋnz in a renj v mīdia, includñ pêntñ, printmêcñ n sculpčr.”
“Pạnirñ ātists fṛm acrs Yṛp, ɖ Americ̣z n Jpan r biyñ šôn at Têt St Îvz fr ɖ frst tîm in Ɖ Modn Lenz.
Ɖs z ɖ ljst dsple v fôṭgrafic wrcs evr t b xibitd at ɖ gaḷri. Lcñ at dveḷpmnts in inṭnašnl ftogṛfi fṛm ɖ 1920z t ɖ 1960z, ɖ xibišn uncuvrz ɖ sens v krioṣti n xperimntešn az ātists hānist ɖ mīdı̣m in ny wez.
Ftogṛfi wz yzd t xplor îdiyz v abstraẋn, dveḷpt in tandm wɖ ɖ imrjns v wîdr moḍnist lanĝjz acrs ɖ glôb. It olso demnstretd ɖ significns v a lôcl pspctv, az ātists cmbînd ɖ brwd inflụnsz v abstraẋn, cnstructvizm n sriylizm wɖ ɖer ôn contxts. Ɖr r imijz v rṛl landsceps, ōganic fwmešnz, man-md objcts n industrı̣l mtirı̣lz, az wel az v ŕbn ācitcčr.
Lūsli arenjd bî lcešn, Ɖ Modn Lenz ôpnz wɖ ftogṛfi n abstraẋn in Latin America: ācitcčr, lît n cnstructd fwmz undrpin wrcs bî ātists sč az Žraldo di Barŭs n Tomaz Fāc̣s in Bṛzil.
In subsiqnt gaḷriz, pêntñz n sculpčrz fṛm Britiš ātists in ɖ 1930z, includñ Pwl Naš, Ben Niclsn, Îvn Hičnz, Bābra Hepẉʈ n Henri Mur, xplor a mmnt in Britiš moḍnizm šêpt bî ɖ opozñ fwsz v pyr abstraẋn n sriylizm. Ɖz wrcs r šôn in rlešn t a fôṭgrafic sīqns md bî ācitect n dzînr Šālot Periã, ātist Fernã Ležé n ācitect Pier Žaneré, hu wr c̣laḅretñ in Paris in ɖ sem pirı̣d; ɖer wrc z ɖ rzult v a siriz v pfwmd wōcs in ẇč ɖe stêjd incântrz wɖ jı̣mtric fwmz in nêčr.
Ɖ imbresñ v ny tecnoḷjiz t rle ɖ fwml qoḷtiz v lît, spês n tôn wr sentṛl lesnz v ɖ Bâhâs in Jrṃni fṛm its ôpnñ in 1919.
Includñ rer fôtogramz, prints n filmfŭtij bî rnând tytrz Lasló Moholi-Noj n Valter Peterhanz alñ wɖ ɖer stydnts, ɖ xibišn cnsidrz hâ ɖ scūl inflụnst mîgṛnt moḍnist ftogṛfrs sč az Iweo Yaṃwaci fṛm Jpan n ɖ Hungẹrı̣n Ydit Cāras.
Ɖ Modn Lenz culminets wɖ ɖ wrc v Hari Caḷhn, wn v America’z most influenšl ftogṛfrz. Invîtd t tīč at Moholi-Noj’z Ny Bâhâs (Šicago Instityt v Dzîn), Caḷhn wrct īqli in blac n ẇît az wel az in culr, n wz ci t ɖ dveḷpmnt v fwml abstraẋn in pôstwor Americn ftogṛfi.”
