In December I posted about three sculptures, in particular the Wilde one by Eduardo Paolozzi … but didn't mention the reason why it looked like it does …
Paolozzi's sculpture
Paolozzi creatively designed the sculpture as three segments referring to dominant times in Wilde's life …
… the distress of his life as he suffered …
… the loss of respect, symbolised by his fallen head being sculpted as such …
… the segmentation representing his troubled life and his ultimate death …
The art work has been condemned by many … as it would be near impossible for a non-specialised viewer to understand it.
However it remains ... for our interpretation – such as it is … but many would prefer a statue that welcomes us to come and have a talk with the great conversationalist and playwright …
Here we have his triptych
tapestry - in the ICA
Paolozzi was a Scottish artist, known for his sculptures and graphic works … while being widely considered to be one of the pioneers of pop art.
Next I came across Paolozzi's triptych tapestry 'A perspective on innovation' (1981) commissioned by the Institute of Chartered Accountants to hang in their Great Hall – it has now been moved to another part of the building.
One of the mosaic panels that was
moved during the construction of the
Elizabeth line
The triptych is easier to understand … and I find it really interesting … we can see his interest in post-war developments in science and technology ... also applied here in the mosaics ...
… then there are the mosaics at Tottenham Court Road tube station … again reflecting his interpretation of the local area and his wider interest in mechanisation, urbanisation, popular culture and everyday life.
Due to the huge expansion of the new Elizabeth (tube) line in recent years … the art works were carefully relocated to their new place … the link with its documentary tells this story …
Skilled workmen carefully removing
part of a panel before restoration
Paolozzi's Pop art collage
Pop! goes the end of this two-part series – brief … but Pop is to the point – Paolozzi was the first to display the word “pop” on his collage in 1952.
Institute of Chartered Accountants - Paolozzi's tapestry ...
Restoration works at Tottenham Road Underground station ...
Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories
1 comment:
Hari OM
The irony being that Paolozzi's POP was to indicate the explosion of the gun from which it bubbles and nothing to do with contemporaneousness, which is generally what pop art is considered for. Thus not popularity but POP! = shock/surprise. That said, a lot of pop art does exactly that... Accessibility of art is rather a pointless debate, for there is the ancient adage of 'eye of the beholder'. There are those who gain nothing by perusal of Constable's country scenes, or are aghast at the wildness of Picasso. We see what we see and it either draws or repels us. From there, we expand our connection (or not) with a piece. Like poetry, knowing what the poet meant versus what we draw from the lines ourselves can be two vastly different things... Aint' art wonderful?!! YAM xx
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