Geoffrey Clarke R.A. (British 1924-2014) §
Artist Series: The Artist’s Progression, The Artist and Participation, or Mutual Thought, 2000
£756
Auction: 28 April 2023 at 11:00 BST
Description
each signed, dated, and numbered 12/25, 10/25 and 6/25 respectively, etching on zinc, two etching and aquatint, commissioned by Strand Gallery and printed by St. Barnabas Press
Dimensions
25cm x 15.5cm (10in x 6 1/4in), 17.5cm x 14.5cm (6 7/8in x 5 5/8in) and 19cm x 12.5cm (7 1/2in x 4 7/8in) respectively, unframed
Provenance
Provenance
Private Collection, UK.
Footnote
Literature
Judith LeGrove, Geoffrey Clarke: A Sculptor's Prints, Bristol, 2012, no. 209, 210 and 211.
Innovative sculptor Geoffrey Clarke (1924 – 2014) experimented readily with materials throughout his lifetime, moving away from a figurative focus which for many years dictated his study to a more abstract direction. His fearless experiments and bold sculptures epitomised the vivacity of the post-war art scene in Britain. A graduate of London’s Royal College of Art, Clarke was acknowledged as one of the few British sculptors who actively encouraged the practice of cooperation and synergy between sculptors and architects. Characteristically monumental and large in scale, his output notably included the combined use of aluminium, stained glass, mosaic and enamel.
Taking advantage of the post-war architectural boom, Clarke was known in his early years for his iron, wire and plaster works. One of the first artists to use welding in his sculptures, Clarke experimented readily with processes, trialling different modes of making which were both more cost and time effective. Often building an initial ‘skeleton’ in his sculptures, his process was undeniably influenced by anthropomorphism. Reducing the human figure to a curvilinear sculpture in his work, this technique remained in line with the rise of sculptors looking to develop a more meaningful sculptural language.
In 1952, Clarke’s fame was cemented when he was selected by the Arts Council for the inclusion in the landmark exhibition of British sculpture at the Venice Biennale. Attaining several subsequent awards in the years which followed, Clarke rapidly became one of the most frequently commissioned architectural sculptors of the mid-twentieth century. A notable public commission being his work on the windows of Coventry Cathedral, which showcased his stained-glass abilities.