Over the last few years, I have come away from the Sotheby’s sculpture exhibition feeling a little disappointed.. previous years (and I’m going back by about 3 or 4 years) were incredible.. The sculptures that instantly come to mind include the 33 foot naked pregnant woman, a provocative sculpture which, on one side of the body, shows the anatomy of the female form and the unborn child inside.
Another favorite was Marc Quinn’s larger than life sculpture of Kate Moss in a yoga position.
However I’d say the 2012 and 2011 shows did very little for me… though this year it seems to have made a bit of a comeback!
One of my favorite sculptors, Marc Quinn, designed this beautiful piece named Spiral of the Galaxy. Perched at the end of the canal pond, it is one of the most stunning sculptures Chatsworth has received in the Sotheby’s auction. This timeless piece represents a sea shell so perfectly with its highly polished areas effortlessly developing into rougher, matte areas with the detailing of ridges on a real shell.
Ivy by Manolo Valdés deserves a mention.. Like Quinn, Valdés has been a regular artist to have work shown in the Sotheby’s exhibition at Chatsworth… This piece is best appreciated on a bright sunny day, when the light can reflect off the metal work. The location of Ivy is perfect, as the strong lines in the fan-like pieces have a lightness and a movement to them which juxtaposes the unmoving horizontals of the cascade steps and the roof of the Cascade House.
Sitting on History I by Bill Woodrow
This is one of those pieces of art where I just think, “I wish I’d thought of that”. It is a beautifully simple concept and has been executed so brilliantly. There is a charm about this sculpture which I just adore, I really hope Chatsworth buy it! It is one of the smallest sculptures in the exhibition; it doesn’t scream for attention like some of the others, but that makes me love it even more.
Marianna by Jaume Plensa
Plensa had a much smaller sculpture of the same technique of distorted shape shown at Chatsworth in 2011, which I absolutely loved.
It may be hard to appreciate this by only looking at my photos, but this sculpture is so clever… Looking at it face on, it challenges your perception. It deceives the eye and the mind, as they know what it SHOULD look like and battles with this.. then as you walk closer to its left, the sculpture slowly transforms into the correct shape of a human head. This play on perspective is a concept I absolutely love and can’t even begin to imagine where I’d start in attempting something like this.
