A solo show of sculpture by Sean Henry is now running at Glyndeboure Opera House in Sussex, England, to coincide with their 2013 summer season of opera. Ten sculptures have been integrated into the architecture of the buildings and gardens, and the works will be on display until August 25.
The exhibition has been organised in conjunction with Glyndebourne Opera House, Sean Henry and Osborne Samuel Gallery, London.
Sean Henry says: "In creating sculpture it is the inner life of the people I choose as my models that interests me, rather than their extrinsic details, and I enjoy the challenge of trying to capture this in immobile, three-dimensional form. I set out to involve the viewer and hope that people will be able to connect with the emotions inherent in the work. By being anonymous, they share something of the enigmatic concept of the 'Unknown Soldier' in art, creating imaginative space for the viewer to connect with the work, and perhaps recognise something of themselves within it."
Peter Osborne says: "Osborne Samuel Gallery are proud to support Sean Henry's solo exhibition at Glyndebourne Opera House this summer. Sean Henry depicts anonymous people, and his works are a penetrating examination of the lived experience. The sculptures exist alongside us but go beyond the narrow limits of simply imitating life through subtle changes to scale, colour and material. His figures embody and evoke interior lives but they are ambiguous, allowing us room to bring our own reflections.
This desire to enable a narrative for his figures has parallels to the theatrical experience. Many of the artworks on display at Glyndebourne draw on theatre and opera as part of their inspiration, making the Summer Festival an enriching environment in which to experience the work.
All the sculptures are created in clay, cast in bronze and then painted and this innovative approach has put Henry at the forefront of the current renaissance of painted sculpture."
A 34 page full colour catalogue detailing the exhibition is now available. To order a free copy, please send us a message via the contact page above.
Photos: Leigh Simpson