Alchemy of the Theatre at Waddington Custot London

Alchemy of the Theatre explores the theatrical elements of Flanagan’s sculptures, from their dramatic conception, to the performances of the hares to reflect human experience. At the heart of the exhibition are Flanagan’s well-loved sculptural depictions of hares, which are captured in various positions of dynamic movement, cast in bronze.

Flanagan began to focus his practice more resolutely on bronze from 1979. Proclaiming the atmosphere of the bronze casting foundry to be: ‘as exciting as standing in the wings of a theatre, with the first night buzz’, he would develop a deep engagement with the material of bronze and the fabrication of the sculptures, even setting up a temporary apartment on the premises of east London’s A&A Foundry with whom he worked. Now known as AB Fine Art Foundry, it is the same location where today the Estate of Barry Flanagan is headquartered.

It was the collaborative nature of the relationship with the foundry that appealed to Flanagan, as he described: ‘My fascination is to do with the alchemy of the theatre of the group with my particular input as author and with the communal skills of the foundry that I do not control or direct. It’s a theatrical group. My precious original is sacrificed to the power of the mould.’

Private View: 6-8pm 3 March 2020
Exhibition: 4 March – 18 April 2020

For more information visit waddingtoncustot.com