Henry Moore
Country Park
"The creative habit is like a drug. The particular obsession changes, but the excitement, the thrill of your creation lasts."
Described as ‘radical, experimental and avant-garde’, Henry Moore was by far one of the leading British artists of his generation. Celebrated and commissioned worldwide, his work introduced Modernism to a wide public and contributed to a seismic shift in sculpture. Moore’s work has been the subject of extensive exhibitions worldwide, from a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1946, to the most recent at Tate Britain in 2010.
YSP showcases the largest display of open-air bronzes by the artist in Europe. Featuring key loans from The Henry Moore Foundation, Tate and other collections, sculptures that represent iconic themes are sited across 90 acres of parkland. Created between 1955 and 1985, the bronzes represent the peak of the artist’s career when he worked on a monumental scale and particularly for the open air.
Moore was born in the nearby Yorkshire town of Castleford, once an important centre for coal mining and now part of Wakefield Metropolitan District Council. YSP has been instrumental in The Castleford Project, a culturally-led regeneration initiative begun by Channel 4, including offsite projects by Winter/Hörbelt and Carlos Garaicoa.
Henry Moore often referred to the influence of the West Yorkshire landscape on his development as a young artist and visited YSP in the 1970s, when he expressed a strong interest in siting his work in the Country Park.
The sculptures have been sited carefully within the landscape, taking into consideration form and scale. The undulating hills and distant views of surrounding countryside offer settings to suit the character of individual sculptures and space in which to view them from all angles. The setting is more landscape than parkland, requiring a walk through the countryside to appreciate the full power of each work. The element of surprise is the key and Moore said that sculpture is like a journey, 'providing different views as you return'.
The YSP display is a permanent, yet changing, open air exhibition and is open every day of the year, except for the Christmas holidays. YSP is an extraordinary place to learn more about Henry Moore and his legacy. As well as important sculptures by his contemporary Barbara Hepworth, visitors can also experience work by subsequent generations of artists who, whilst keen to distance themselves from his ideas and use of form, struggled to deny that Moore paved the way for more radical artistic expression.
Notable amongst these are Eduardo Paolozzi and William Turnbull whose work, described in the 1950s by the critic Herbert Read as the Geometry of Fear, was a marked departure from Moore’s organic use of form. Similarly, several of Moore’s assistants such as Sir Anthony Caro (whose sculptures Promenade and Dream City are currently on display at YSP), and Phillip King subsequently established their own distinct and different practices, but acknowledge the importance of his influence and disciplined approach.
Sculptures are kindly loaned by the Tate Collection, The Henry Moore Foundation and London Borough of Tower Hamlets and represent a significant body of work by one of the twentieth century's most influential sculptors, sited in the region of his childhood.
The Henry Moore Institute in the heart of Leeds was set up by Henry Moore as a place to discover sculpture. It has an ever-changing programme of exhibitions, tours, talks and events exploring sculpture from ancient to modern. Open daily. Admission free. All welcome. To find out what’s on call 0113 234 3158 or visit www.henry-moore-fdn.co.ukc
A selection of publications on Henry Moore is available from the YSP Shop.
Further information:
An introduction to the Henry Moore exhibition in the Country Park
YSP Essential Sculpture Guide entries for Henry Moore
Henry Moore's sculpture and the open air
Draped Seated Woman 1957-58 | Large Spindle Piece 1968-74
Standing Figure: Knife Edge 1961 | Large Totem Head 1968
Reclining Figure: Bunched cast 1985 | Three Piece Reclining Figure No 1 1961-62
Links:
Henry Moore collection at Tate
Henry Moore Sculpture Centre, Art Gallery of Ontario
Henry Moore collection at The Hakone Open-Air Museum, Japan
Henry Moore article in Tate Magazine
Read an interview with Mary Moore, the daughter of Henry Moore