Yorkshire Sculpture Park: A Cultural Landscape
Artists understanding of how objects occupy and define space, together with 500 acres of varied landscaping, makes for an “incredible international gallery for modern and contemporary sculptures that challenges, inspires and delights”.
Igor Mitoraj – Tsuki No Hikari II (Light of the Moon II), 2000. Bronze
Yorkshire Sculpture Park is situated in the 500 acre Bretton Estate at Wakefield in the county of Yorkshire. Designed in the 18th and 19th centuries, the landscape has topographical height variations of over 21 metres (66 feet) and has a mixture of woodland areas, water, formal gardens and open spaces (as well as four indoor galleries) It is this variation that creates a rich environment for some of the best contemporary sculptures created by international artists.
Soglio VI, Nigel Hall ,1996
At any one time there are at least 40 outdoor sculptures on display, making this landscape a cultural delight for any visitors.
Created in 1977, the changing exhibitions and projects both challenge and inspire.
The works are not constant. Many are loaned from other exhibitions, are on tour, or have been donated for display.Some of those pictured here now, will have changed at a later date.
Wakefield was the home of two of this medium’s most famous exponents: Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. So it is unsurprising to see their work proudly displayed here, alongside the work of artists such as Nigel Hall, Mark di Suvero, Peter Randall-Page, Sophie Ryder, Igor Mitoraj, Jonathan Borofsky, Isamu Naguchi, Anthony Caro and other acclaimed names.
Henry Moore (1898-1986) born in nearby Castleford, was the most celebrated sculptor of his time. Commissioned to produce works for such institutions as the Time Life building in London, the Lincoln Center in New York and the Unesco Headquarters in Paris, he is best known for his monumental bronze sculptures based on abstractions of the human figure. His modernist creations, particularly his reclining figures, appear to be based on the landscapes that surrounded him.
After initially starting out by hand carving his work he eventually took to the less time consuming style of casting them.
Although he lived modestly, large scale commissions gave him a wealth that he used to set up the Henry Moore Foundation, promoting education and the arts.
Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975) was born in Wakefield. Like Henry Moore, her work exemplifies modernism. Its flowing lines show the influence of organic shapes and the landscape.
Liked it
Excellent…
I have to visit there
Hei! This is magical! I appreciate every bit of your work. Thanks a lot.
Inspiring!… I enjoyed Igor Mitoraj – Tsuki No Hikari II (Light of the Moon II) the most, because the face really merges with the environment… it has something surrealistic and it is truly unexpected too.
Incredible! I’m bookmarking this to use in my art classes.
How beautiful and inspiring. You did a great job presenting all of this.
Outstanding. I loved the faces just sitting around the park but my favorite was the Ha Ha Bridge.
Wow – Great article, didn’t even know this place existed – It would be a wonderful trip in summer – picnic & camera !
Interesting sculptures. Though I have to admit, the first piece is more to my liking..lol!
I love the first one it is so unfinished , just beautiful. Great write and pics C
beautiful landscape!
man, those artworks are mindboggling.. thanks for sharing!
Beautiful art:)
I’ve heard about this park, but I didn’t know that it’s packed with so many artistic artworks. Maybe one day, I’m goin’ to visit here. Thanks!
Very interesting sculpture park. Thank you for sharing. I imagine it does add a unique element to the park. There are actually many places that are adding homegrown art like this to their community places, which I think is a great thing.
Truly impressive! Nice piece, Mr. Jordan!
Ey up sither,
Does tha no that t’ old Yorkshure’s got summa the most luvly countryside in good ol’ blighty. North Yorkshure Moor ‘as the most stunnin’ scenery in Englund, as well as U.S. spy bases which y’ can’t get inta unless ya jump t’ oer fence. Aye, Lancashure cums a close secund int beauty stakes. An’ if tha wonts real ale … tha can’t beat Yorkshure!
And now that I’ve totally baffled our U.S. brothers and sisters with the local dialect, did you see the film “Wind Talkers”? If they’d ‘ave used us tykes there’s no bloody way the Japs wudda ever known wot we wuz talking abart!
Nice article, it got me thinking …
I just had to quickly return with a second comment as I reckon I totally baffled the HTML on here – it wasn’t me who placed the backward slashes in the text. Tykes strike again!
nice article and a beautiful work of art.
Beautiful!
Very cool!
I really enjoyed reading the article and viewing the artwork presented here. It is amazing at the scale of the sculptures and it is amazing to wonder at what it took to complete these works.
Absolutely amazingand masterful work. I would love to see them in person.
wow
Wow, some of them were super awesome…yes super awesome…^___^
