Sixth Form Art Historians trip to CHATS Art Talk in Wells

On Thursday, 16^th September, our budding Sixth Form artists and historians made their way to Cedars Hall for an audience with speaker Jo Baring, art historian and curator.

To open the art talk series, Jo Baring traced a century of sculpture in Britain through artists such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth. Highlights included exploration into female sculptors such as Elizabeth Frink, Barbara Hepworth and Phyllida Barlow, who were at times, marginalised and experienced critical and gender bias. Post War artist, Elizabeth Frink, creating early expressionistic, tense and violent forms such as 'BIRD', 1952. Moving beyond the post-war angst, Frink began to look forward, asking poignant questions such as, what does it mean to be human? Frink’s figurative works draws upon the dichotomy of the human form and the nature of man.

The talk on ‘Modern British Sculpture’ in part, was celebrating the arrival of Gormley's new work DOUBT in Wells. As the evening drew to a close, we had an opportunity to venture along the cobbled streets of Vicars Close to marvel at Gormley’s abstract human figure. This life-sized cast-iron sculpture, entitled ‘DOUBT’, was positioned as part of the west front of 14^th Century, Wells Cathedral.

A fantastic evening enjoyed by all, exploring a sense of mystery and magic surrounding sculpture throughout the ages. Along with a golden opportunity to experience Gormley’s collapsed iron figure positioned out of reach as part of the historic fabric of the cathedral. This still silent form posed lot of questions and encourages us to move both in our minds and bodies.

George Cole - Art Teacher