ELISABETH FRINK ANIMALS SERIES
The origin of this series came from Frink’s interest in the 1956 attempt of Frenchman Leo Valentin to fly like a bird, using wooden wings. The continuing preoccupation with flight is apparent in the Birdman series, which begins with the erect ‘Birdman’ (1960), a spindly, helmeted character, standing tall as if preparing to take off.
The birds adopt more explicit military references in the Standard series – vultures poised atop their perches, representing those who have been honoured in the armed forces for their part in the killing of other men. The bird theme occupied Frink for many years ‘Harbinger Bird III’ (1961) is a development from the earlier bird series and is constructed from more slab-like, solid forms reminiscent of armour. The warped body and twisted limbs of ‘Dead Hen’ (1957) conjure up images of the concentration camps that Frink must have viewed as a teenager. ‘Vulture’ (1952) has an ancient, fossilised quality, hunched over awaiting its prey it represents many of the artist’s deep held feelings about war and aggression. Frink felt deeply the fragility of the postwar period, the looming Cold War and ongoing nuclear threat – all atrocities created by the human species – and expressed these feelings through her early images of birds. In Frink’s early work, animal forms were given a powerful, often menacing, appearance, such as ‘Bird’ (1952), which, despite its diminutive size, appears intimidatory and defiant. Her interest in animals lay in their relationship to man, believing that all life forms were equal if mankind could see himself as equal to animals, then it would follow that there could be no injustice between men. Frink consistently found inspiration in the head, regarding it as the centre of emotion and the seat of the soul. On entering the Rhoades Gallery, the viewer is met with a series of abstract heads belonging to both man and beast. It was a tactile method of working, which allowed for spontaneity, rapid corrections and the development of ideas, giving her work a raw immediacy. Frink’s range of subjects included men, animals and birds, exploring their shapes to convey tension, aggression and vulnerability.įrink worked unassisted, modelling with wet plaster onto an armature of metal rods and chicken wire, which she would then shape and chisel, sometimes adding more plaster and distressing it further, to create a pitted surface which would then be cast in bronze.
She had an interest in Celtic mythology, in particular how man expresses himself through myths and metaphors, notably in relation to war. The impact of these experiences influenced Frink’s approach to her work and led to a life-long preoccupation with conflict, injustice and man’s capacity for brutality. These events had a profound effect on her, as did her viewing of the first images released of the Nazi concentration camps. Later on in the war, while spending time in Devon, she narrowly avoided machine-gun fire from a German fighter plane.
Living near an airfield, she often witnessed bombers fighting in the skies directly overhead, or returning to the base in flames. Frink was nine years old when the Second World War broke out.
ELISABETH FRINK ANIMALS PROFESSIONAL
Her father was a professional soldier who fought at Dunkirk.
ELISABETH FRINK ANIMALS FULL
Growing up mainly in rural Suffolk, she enjoyed a countryside existence full of animals and birds, but set against the backdrop of war. Outside in the grounds are some of Frink’s most important sculptures from her later life, including the celebrated Riace Warriors.įrink’s art was directly influenced by her childhood and adolescent experiences. The exhibition ‘Transformation’ comprises a selection of Frink’s distinctive bronzes produced in the 1950s and 1960s, alongside a series of drawings that highlight the artist’s skill as a draughtsman. On view until, Hauser & Wirth Somerset presents a major solo exhibition of sculpture by the late Elisabeth Frink.
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