Out of the Shadows
Unseen sculpture of the 1960's by Lynn Chadwick
19th September - 14th November 2009
Lynn Chadwick hardly needs an introduction. He is the pre-eminent sculptor of his generation present in every major collection of Post War art. Yet there exists a group of highly original and barely seen sculptures that shed a completely new light on his oeuvre.
The constructivist and abstract works Lynn Chadwick produced between 1963 and 1966 have largely escaped critical notice or exposition but are an essential element in any analysis of Chadwick’s unique approach to making sculpture. These sculptures demonstrate that far from sticking to one form of expression during the cultural upheaval of pop, op, and minimalist art, Chadwick was as in touch with the zeitgeist as many of his younger contemporaries.
The originality of these largely overlooked constructions informed Chadwick’s work for the rest of his life and to this day have found echoes in the most contemporary of architecture. His playfully amalgamated series of cones, pyramids and polyhedrons are all constructed with Chadwick’s unique external armature which invigorates the formal austerity of the shapes with art brut surfaces and the vital energy of his straight line frame structures.
Out of the Shadows: Unseen Sculptures from the 1960’s is the most complete survey of Chadwick’s abstract works ever realised and finally recognises how inventive and experimental Chadwick really was. Shared between our two venues Pangolin London and Gallery Pangolin, we are delighted to offer an insight into these pivotal pieces through drawings prints and sculptures. The fully illustrated catalogue which accompanies the exhibition gives these abstract works the prominence they deserve within his output as a whole.
All photographs by Steve Russell