Tate St Ives is holding a retrospective about British artist Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975). It includes a lot of sculptures, paintings, and other materials that weren’t seen before. Barbara Hepworth is one of the most influential sculptors of the twentieth century, and Tate St Ives thinks her work is very important.
This exhibition is about the work of the artist, Hepworth. Tate St Ives has worked with the gallery to change the exhibition to reflect Hepworth’s life and work in Cornwall. Some of the pieces in the exhibition are named after things that are important to Hepworth’s life in Cornwall, such as Curved Form (Trevalgan) 1956 and Sea Form (Porthmeor) 1958. Hepworth was also interested in the world around her, and some of her pieces, like Disc with Strings (Moon) 1969, are inspired by events that were happening in the world at the time.
The exhibition tells the story of how artist Hepworth moved from studying art at Leeds School of Art in 1920-1 to traveling around Europe and living in London in the 1930s. During this time, she began to create paintings that were less figurative, and focused more on abstraction. However, her interest in the human body remained evident throughout her career.
The exhibition tells the story of how Barbara Hepworth developed her art during her early years in St Ives. She fell in love with the landscapes of West Cornwall and created some of her most famous works during this time, such as Oval Sculpture (No. 2) 1943 (cast 1958) and Tides II 1946.
The show looks at the artist’s work in stage design and her interest in how movement affects art, as well as her use of bronze to create pieces in response to the landscape. There is a particular focus on the creation of Hepworth’s Single Form for the United Nations headquarters in New York, which was made using an armature made at her second studio in St Ives.
Barbara Hepworth was an artist who focused on spirituality and space. In particular, she was inspired by her visit to Goonhilly Earth Station on the Lizard, Cornwall. This place inspired her to create sculptures that connect people and nature in a way that is still relevant today.
The exhibition at Tate St Ives is called “Barbara Hepworth: Art & Life.” It’s organized by The Hepworth Wakefield in collaboration with the National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, and Tate St Ives. The curator is Eleanor Clayton, Senior Curator at The Hepworth Wakefield. Anne Barlow is the Director of Tate St Ives, and Giles Jackson is Assistant Curator.