From Aardvark to Zebra
Anita Mandl
19th May - 27th June 2008
Our exhibition is a major retrospective survey of Anita Mandl's work including rare early pieces in lignum vitae, carvings in polyphant and marble, and many works in bronze.
Mandl began sculpting more than forty years ago. She trained as a zoologist and studied sculpture at Birmingham College of Art. She exhibits extensively throughout the British Isles and is a Royal West of England Academician and a Fellow of The Royal Society of British Sculptors.
A deep understanding of the natural world is clearly reflected in her expressive and intuitive animal forms. Their economy of language, their smooth and lustrous surfaces, together express the essential characteristics of each animal. All her works start life as carvings, most of which are then cast into bronze. It is therefore no surprise that these patinated bronzes often evoke the qualities of stone or marble in their subtle coloration.
Photographs by Steve Russell