Pangolin London opens an exhibition of works on paper and sculptures by Geoffrey Clarke

The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Thursday, March 28, 2024


Pangolin London opens an exhibition of works on paper and sculptures by Geoffrey Clarke
Installation view.



LONDON.- Pangolin London is presenting an exhibition of works on paper and sculptures by Geoffrey Clarke. Known first and foremost as a sculptor, Geoffrey Clarke was also an exceptional print maker. Using his father’s press whilst studying at the Royal College of Art, Clarke began a body of work which used sign and symbol to communicate what he described as a ‘philosophy of Intuitionism’, an idea he developed over the next six decades.

Clarke’s earliest works from 1948-9, some of which are exhibited at Pangolin London for the first time, show a young, adept draughtsman, experimenting with a new medium and exploring influences from Klee to Picasso and from medieval landscapes to prehistoric cave painting. The following year however sees a distinct and exciting change in style and approach, one that shaped the rest of Clarke’s career.

Clarke’s confident leap from clearly definable figures to a comprehensive new visual language is nothing short of astonishing. Sign and symbol, line and arrow, powerfully communicate Clarke’s elongated figures and tribal-looking heads. Many have commented on the spiritualism of these works and this is certainly to be considered, with many of the titles exploring our human existence, faith and belief. However, they can also be seen as a fast and furious expression from an artist who has discovered a new voice. In 1950 alone, Clarke created seventy-seven new monochrome etchings, most of which were small-scale and often unique.

Judith LeGrove, author of the complete catalogue raisonné of Clarke’s prints, notes that the context for this change in visual language is as wide ranging as Clarke’s interests. From theosophy and psychology to world religion and astronomical models, Clarke’s new direction can be seen as an effort to meld together his own creation story. Clarke’s degree thesis, written in 1951 and titled ‘Exposition of a Belief’, gives a glimpse of how seriously he took this new direction. It is an introspection, a treatise and a philosophy on Clarke’s search for truthful expression, as he wrote: ‘The artist thus follows a philosophy of Intuitionism, where instinct and intellect are combined with the opportunity of higher attainments by the use of symbols.’

Whilst Clarke’s print output decreased dramatically in 1951, partly due to writing his thesis and creating his first large scale sculpture Icarus for the Festival of Britain, his confidence increased and he began to introduce colour. Due to his way of using colour, the process is much more laborious, perhaps explaining why he began to work with other printers and why many more of these prints are editioned rather than unique experiments. In these and later coloured prints, Clarke’s experience in stained glass seems to shine through. Glorious colours such as in Blue Head, 1951, give a rich depth to the print as well as recalling the lead lattice work of his early stained glass works, such as Figure in a Landscape ‘St Anthony’, 1949, now in The Stained Glass Museum, and Ely - a forerunner to his monumental contribution to the windows at Coventry Cathedral.

Clarke’s new visual language is expressed not only through his prints but also through thesculpture he made alongside. Complexities of Man, 1950, which was shown at the Venice Biennale in 1952 and now resides in the Tate Collection, shows in forged iron a three-dimensional expression of prints such as Man, 1950, whereas prints like Warrior, 1956, can be seen as a precursor to Clarke’s later sculptures in aluminium, such as his Tankman series from 1984. Another overlap between Clarke’s prints and sculpture was his prolific use of monotype throughout his career to plan and explore his sculptures. Covering the wall behind Clarke in the photograph shown here, these monotypes offer a unique insight into his making process and highlight his extraordinary ability to shift effortlessly between seeing shape and form in reverse.

The prints in this exhibition not only give an insight to an exciting moment in Geoffrey Clarke’s life and making process but also offer us a glimpse of the wider context of the development of Modern British sculpture: a moment where an openness to making across a wide spectrum of disciplines enabled an energetic young artist to create an entirely new and comprehensive visual language that we still have the opportunity to explore and enjoy today.










Today's News

March 8, 2020

Kunstmuseum Basel exhibits works from the Im Obersteg Collection

TEFAF art fair carries on. But business isn't usual.

Exhibition of Kenneth Noland's Flare series on view at Pace Gallery

18th century Chinese gourd sells for $4.6 million at auction

The networks that ruled earth's ancient seas

Truck crashes into an Easter Island statue

The Armory Show announces move to the Javits Center and new September dates for 2021 edition

TEFAF releases 'Art Market Report: Art Patronage in the 21st Century'

Gagosian opens an exhibition of new paintings by Jennifer Guidi

Kasmin opens 'Valley of Gold: Southern California and the Phantasmagoric'

The Twist at Kistefos Museum and Sculpture Park in Norway wins LCD Berlin Award for Best Architecture

Sotheby's to offer Francis Bacon's 'Triptych Inspired by the Oresteia of Aeschylus' this May in New York

House of Illustration opens the UK's first public exhibition dedicated solely to gay cultural icon Tom of Finland

SXSW festival in Texas cancelled over coronavirus fears

He played with Charlie Parker. For $15 he'll play with you.

Columbus Museum of Art opens 'Art after Stonewall, 1969-1989'

Throckmorton Fine Art opens an exhibition of photographic images by Don Farber

Revered jazz pianist McCoy Tyner dead at 81

First book devoted solely to the ethical concerns museums face regarding collections published

Petzel Gallery opens a solo exhibition of recent paintings by artist Rodney McMillian

The Beatles' first performance stage, Hey Jude lyrics and more head to Julien's Auctions

Poem 88 presents the second solo exhibition of Corrine Colarusso, Every Leaf a Shelter

Pangolin London opens an exhibition of works on paper and sculptures by Geoffrey Clarke

A deaf-blind dishwasher achieves his childhood dream: Movie actor

Almine Rech opens its first exhibition of Jansson Stegner with the gallery

How soon after an accident should you file an injury claim?

How to Make Him Hard and CRAVE You?

How to get more views on YouTube?

How to Pick a Career You Will Never Abandon

Importance of Culture in Learning of Hard Languages

Health benefits of Medical Marijuana




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez

sa gaming free credit
Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful