New exhibition of work by Sophie Ryder, one of Britain's leading sculptors
9 May 2013
For immediate release
Sophie Ryder: Monumental
Exhibition: 12 June – 8 September 2013
Sophie Ryder is one of the leading sculptors working in Britain today. Her work is an amalgamation of multiple forms: animal and human; miniature and monumental; domestic and wild; transparent and opaque. It encompasses fact and fiction – part-autobiographical, part-mythology – and straddles two very different worlds.
Arguably the largest indoor exhibition of her work ever to be staged,
Monumental brings the outside in and allows for a conversation between scale, site and sculpture. Miniature maquettes sit alongside statuesque bronzes and creatures constructed from wire; drawings and models show the process from idea to finished work. Ryder’s work is monumental in stature, but also lends itself to a more abstract understanding of the term. It bears a history, a past, commemorating both Ryder’s physical and philosophical input into the work. It is in this sense that the fragility of the work shines through: a monument to its own construction.
The scale and size of Ryder’s work has increased over the years since her beginnings as a student at the Royal Academy of Art. In this time her work has also embraced multiple mediums and methods of production as Ryder has mastered new skills, learning to meld materials to fit the complexity of her work. Her bronzes (and their inner lives as plaster casts) bear the scars of this construction. Ryder uses screws, cogs and toys within her sculptures, embedding these recognisable, everyday objects into the surface of the plaster. From rusted toy cars, to old machinery, these objects add texture to the surface, but they also tell a story.
Ryder’s work is more autobiographical than most. Ryder casts her own body to create the recurring character of Lady-Hare, but creates a distinct line between herself and this ‘animal-human’ by adorning the human figure with a mask of a hare’s head. This use of costume or veil only serves to imbue the work with greater vulnerability, contributing to the fragility of these monumental forms.
This fragility is set against the robust nature of the English countryside. Ryder’s work is most often seen sited in landscape; her part-mythical creatures stalking hilltops or nestled amongst a copse (as in her seminal exhibition at Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 1986, and her return in 2008). Her relocation from the urban bustle of London to Gloucestershire in the 1980s has surely helped develop this connection to landscape, providing a home not just for her family but also for her art. It has allowed a certain wildness to run free in her work, providing the practical and creative space to create these organic, anthropomorphic forms.
The same forms have haunted Ryder’s work across the decades as she returns to familiar themes; making multiple versions of the same work, each time exploring a new dimension of scale and medium. This method of multiplicity is perfectly captured in the gallery setting of this latest exhibition, as the physical proximity of the work lends itself to comparison. Viewing charcoal drawings alongside plaster casts, textured bronze figures and curled wire creatures provides a direct insight into Ryder’s technique, revealing her process for transforming a two-dimensional idea upon the page into a three-dimensional sculptural form. In this sense her exhibition at the RWA invites us into Ryder’s world, providing a tour of her imagination that eventually concedes to Ryder’s own assertion that it is a world that is above all ‘resolutely human’.
Events:
Artist talk - Wednesday 12 June, 6.30pm
Sophie Ryder will talk about her work, themes and scale in this artist talk at the RWA. Using examples from Monumental, her new show at the RWA, Sophie will give an insight into all aspects of her practice.
For further information, call the RWA on 0117 973 5129.
Fantastic Creatures - Children’s Print Workshop in collaboration with Spike Print Studio, Christine Howes MA
Saturday 22 June, 10.30am-12.30pm
Create a magical night-time scene with printed stars, planets and fantastic creatures, using our exhibition
Monumental to generate ideas. We will be printing with soft foam, cutting our own shapes and printing in a combination of colours, including gold and silver, before adding sequins and sparkle. Christine Howes MA has created many art activities for BBC Wildlife Magazine and the BBC Children's programme 'Smart'. Suitable for ages 7-11 yrs, £10.
Animal Assemblage - Family Print Workshop in collaboration with Spike Print Studio, Simon Tozer MA
Sunday 23 June, 10am-1pm
Create your own ‘animal-human’ combinations in bright, colourful combinations whilst learning to screen print in this fun, family workshop with tutor Simon Tozer. We will be encouraging you to mix-up cut paper stencils of animals and humans, taking your inspiration from Sophie Ryder’s exhibition
Monumental. This is a workshop for all ages, although young children may need help with cutting. No previous experience of screen printing is necessary. All children must be accompanied by an adult. £10 per child.
Wire Sculptures - Family Workshop presented by Let’s Make Art
Saturday 3 August, 10am-12pm, £5 per child
Join Alice Hendy from Let’s Make Art to explore Sophie Ryder’s exhibition for inspiration before returning to the studio to ‘draw' with wire. Alice will show us how to transform our drawings into a simple sculpture. Each child will come away from this workshop with your own work of art made from wire on a beautiful, wooden plinth. This is a family workshop and all children must be accompanied by an adult. Suitable for 6-11 year olds.
Pick and Mix Animals - Family Workshop presented by Let’s Make Art
Sunday 4 August, 10-11.30am, £5 per child
Join Alice Hendy from Let’s Make Art to break the rules and bend the laws of evolution on this creative collage and colouring workshop for children aged 3-5 years. Alice will show us some clever ways to pick and mix animals using printed papers and mark-making materials. Explore what a Zebrilla or Parraffe might look like, and come prepared to colour, stick, design and use collage to make an animal of your own invention. We provide everything you need to create your own animal hybrid - just bring your imagination. This is a family workshop and all children must be accompanied by an adult. Suitable for 3-5 year olds.
Ends
Notes to editors:
For more information contact Lottie Storey on 0117 906 7604 or
lottie.storey@rwa.org.uk
About the RWA
The RWA has eight galleries within the 19th century building. The five upstairs galleries – Sharples, Winterstoke, Stancomb-Wills, Methuen, and Milner - host the main exhibition/s, alongside the Bristol Drawing School studio. Downstairs is the Fedden Gallery and a newly completed gallery space. All gallery spaces are available for private hire for special events, such as weddings and parties, conferences and meetings. If members of the media would like a tour, please contact Lottie as above.
The downstairs area has a shop and a cafe by Papadeli:
http://news.papadeli.co.uk/
The Royal West of England Academy (RWA) is one of only five Royal academies of art in the UK. It is a registered charity which has been self-supporting for over 150 years and possesses an outstanding Grade II* listed building, galleries and permanent fine art collection. The RWA has HM Queen Elizabeth II as its patron and HRH The Prince of Wales is an honorary academician.
The RWA is an established venue for the fine arts and embraces an artistic awareness of the widest nature. The exhibition programme provides a showcase for one-person and mixed exhibitions in a variety of media, which attract large numbers of visitors nationwide.
The Academy is situated in the academic heart of Bristol at the Clifton Triangle, where Queens Road meets Whiteladies Road, opposite the Victoria Rooms.
