Sculpture in the Sixties

Reacting against and building upon the huge leaps and bounds British sculpture made in the 1950’s with the so called ‘Geometry of Fear’ artists, the 1960’s saw sculpture released from the confines of the plinth where it explored new materials, bright colours and introduced minimalism. With Anthony Caro leading the way, a new colourful abstract language began to be forged globally. Britain in particular played a potent role, with artists such as Phillip King and William Tucker being held in high esteem as key figures in what was soon to be known as the ‘New Generation’ of sculptors, a phrase coined at the Whitechapel Art Gallery exhibition of 1965. Experimentation of new materials saw more artists move away from the figurative form into abstraction. This, tied with bold and vibrant colour, became a trademark of this new wave of sculpture. Huge abstract forms suspended in mid-air which appeared to defy the weight of their materials were not only radical and exciting but sparked a change in the behaviour of how people interacted and viewed sculpture. Sculpture in the Sixties forms part of Pangolin London’s series of museumquality exhibitions that re-engage and explore the history of British Sculpture. The catalogue contains a foreword by Polly Bielecka and shows the sculptures along with quotes. Artists include: David Annesley, Michael Bolus, Ralph Brown, Sir Anthony Caro, Lynn Chadwick, Geoffrey Clarke, Garth Evans, George Fullard, Nigel Hall RA, John Hoskin, Phillip King RA, Bryan Kneale RA, Liliane Lijn, Kim Lim, William Pye, Tim Scott, William Tucker RA & Brian Wall.