Sculpture in the Home

Sculpture in the Home NEWS

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Sculpture in the Home at Pangolin London celebrates the innovative series of touring exhibitions of the same name curated by the Arts Council of England in the 1940s and ‘50s. Revisiting the original concept and aims of these pioneering shows, the gallery space at Pangolin London is transformed into a series of domestic settings, incorporating post-war era furnishings and sculpture in this celebration of British art and design.

Featuring the work of many prominent artists of the day, the original Sculpture in the Home exhibitions were the first of their kind to introduce a post-war audience to the concept of displaying sculpture within a domestic setting. Comprised of four successive exhibitions which then toured the country between 1946 1959, the Arts Councils aim was to widen public access to and ownership of sculpture as well as reforming post-war notions of the domestic interior through the integration of art and design.

Highlighting the continued significance of sculpture in everyday life, Pangolin Londons contemporary revision of the show features work by a host of prominent post-war sculptors. Works by many of those artists featured in the original Arts Council exhibitions including Reg Butler, Lynn Chadwick, Geoffrey Clarke and Bernard Meadows will be featured among an intimate setting of exquisite period textiles and furniture.

Challenging dominant contemporary views on the display of art, Sculpture in the Home will once again give people the opportunity to view sculpture within the intimate setting of furniture and textiles, rather than in the more conventional atmosphere of the ordinary gallery exhibition.

The works in the exhibition reflect this notion of intimacy. As with the original Sculpture in the Home exhibitions, there are a small number of abstract works, but the predominant theme is that of the figure with particular reference to family, relationships and the home.

Pangolin London have partnered with one of the original designers featured in the early Sculpture in the Home exhibitions, Ernest Race. Ernest Race furniture is a bastion of mid-century British style and elegance. His pieces will accompany the sculptural works of his contemporaries in this homage to a period of great innovation, creativity and style in British history. Leading interior design agency, Carter Wells are also partnered with Pangolin London in creating the design concepts for Sculpture in the Home. Carter Wells are industry experts in paring interior designers with specialist projects.

Gallery Director Polly Bielecka comments: Pangolin London is delighted to have formed partnerships with Race Furniture, Sanderson and Carter Wells Interior Design to stage this unique exhibition. Sculpture in the Home explores the dialogue between Modern British art and design and reconfirms the accessible nature of sculpture as an artistic medium, and its compatibility with a domestic setting. Just as the Arts Council exhibitions of the 1940s and 1950s, it will be an opportunity to view sculpture in a different way and to encourage a contemporary audience to engage with Modern British sculpture outside the gallery or museum setting.

For further information please contact Paget PR:
e: [email protected] / t: 020 7836 2703

Notes to Editors

Pangolin London is one of the citys few galleries dedicated to exhibiting sculpture and is affiliated with Europes largest sculpture foundry Pangolin Editions. Since opening in 2008 in up-and-coming Kings Cross, the gallery has continued to deliver a rotating exhibition programme of both Modern British and Contemporary Sculpture. In addition to the exhibitions in the gallery, Pangolin London also curates a changing exhibition of large scale sculpture throughout the public spaces and canal-side at Kings Place as well as holding talks and lectures to coincide with exhibitions.

Race Furniture was founded immediately after the Second World War, under the design direction of Ernest Race, who had previously established a reputation in textile and interior design. Inspired by new technologies and material developed during the war, Race Furniture pioneered utility furniture which sought alternatives to then scarce timber and other traditional materials. Between 1945 and 1960, the company produced some of the most iconic furniture designs of the post-war era, which are now housed in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London and the Musuem of Modern Art, New York amongst others. Today Race Furniture continues to meticulously create these iconic designs.

Sanderson was founded in 1860 by Arthur Sanderson and is an internationally renowned brand in the field of interior design and decorating. Having recently celebrated its 150th Anniversary, Sanderson is the oldest surviving English brand in its field. Its quintessentially English fabric and wallpapers are a benchmark of design innovation and exceptional quality. Drawing on historical inspiration, Sandersons contemporary designers create products which are at once rooted in tradition and yet suited to modern living. Having been granted a Royal Warrant in 1923, Sanderson still supplies fabrics, paints and wallcoverings to HM Queen Elizabeth II and the British Royal Palaces.

Carter Wells London, Interior Designer Agency, was founded by Alice Wells to help facilitate successful relationships between their clients and a roster of the finest interior designers. Working with commercial, retail and residential projects, the agency represents designers with a diverse range of styles and influences. Carter Wells provides a unique platform for designers which allows their clients to achieve the best results for their individual requirements.

Amelia McNeil is a London-based interior designer who renders beautiful interior spaces using a combination of vintage styles, contemporary precision and modern ethics. She graduated from the KLC School of Design and then spent four years working for Matthew Godley, latterly becoming a Co-Director of the company. Now working on a number of independent projects McNeil continues to collaborate with a diverse range of clients.