鈥淒ame Barbara Hepworth, Dame Elisabeth Frink, Kim Lim, Phyllida Barlow, and Rana Begum 鈥 some of the most globally well-known British artists are women sculptors. However, sculpture was seen by many throughout the 20th century (and before) to be very much a man鈥檚 world. Often using heavy and hard materials, sculpture was not typically viewed as suitable for women artists.鈥 Inspired by聽a new podcast,听,听Aesthetica highlights five pioneering women sculptors.
Letha Wilson鈥檚 (b. 1976) portfolio experiments with the materiality of printed matter. Enlarged scenes of nature appear to be ripped from an oversized journal 鈥 layered and obscured with crumpled edges, metallic sheets and circular mirrors.聽
Louise Bourgeois
Abstract Expressionism. Surrealism. Feminist Art. Revolutionary, French born sculptor Louise Bourgeois鈥 (1911-2010) portfolio references an array of stylistic movements. Prolific, large scale constructions highlight family dynamics, the unconsciousness and domesticity.聽
鈥淐reating new forms is a mission for me 鈥 a way of positing a transformation.鈥 Juliana Cerqueira Leite (b. 1981) works between New York and S茫o Paulo, moulding raw materials into casts of body parts and natural forms. Finger marks and dents are found on surfaces.
Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975) was a pioneer of 20th century modernism. Her portfolio references long walks at the seaside, living in post-war Britain and personal observations of the human form. Hepworth used bronze, stone and wood to carve out produce abstracted visions of the world.聽
Analogue photography is the starting point for American artist Rosha Yaghmai鈥檚 (b. 1978) multidimensional structures. Projections, strong metal lines and found items are combined to explore the notion of perspective and personal experiences.聽
To listen to Sculpting Lives,
Credits:
1. Letha Wilson, Hawaii California Steel (Figure Ground), 2017
2. Louise Bourgeois, Maman 颈苍听聽in Sweden. Photo: Anders Norrsell.聽
3. Juliana Cerqueria Leite,听Blind Spot 2聽for Lustwarande, at Oude Warande, Tilburg, Netherlands, 2015. Courtesy of the artist.聽
4. Barbara Hepworth, Family of Man, 1970.
5. Rosha Yaghmai,听Slide Samples (Lures, Myths),听2018.
