Crucible 2 - Gloucester Cathedral

Lynn Chadwick, Jubilee IV, Bronze

Crucible 2 is at Gloucester Cathedral until 31 October 2014.
It's a tough gig exhibiting modern British sculpture in the glorious Gothic setting of Gloucester Cathedral; however, Gallery Pangolin  (the exhibiting arm of the sculpture foundry, Pangolin Editions, in Chalford, near Stroud) has taken on the challenge for a second time  (the first Crucible exhibition was in 2010) - and it (mostly) works.
100 sculptures by 61 artists are distributed in and around the Cathedral. Fittingly, work by Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003), effectively greets visitors to the Cathedral and exhibition (see above). Chadwick, (whose centenary year this is) not only had strong local connections - he lived at Lypiatt Park, near Stroud - but was instrumental in the origins of Pangolin Editions: Chadwick had a small foundry at Lypiatt Park and in 1981 employed Rungwe Kingdon, fresh from Art School in Cheltenham, to run it. In 1987 Kingdon and his wife Claudia Koenig established a commercial foundry on an industrial estate in Chalford and have since grown an international reputation for casting sculpture. (See Birks, Tony (1998) The Alchemy of Sculpture, Pangolin Editions) 
Chadwick is in the company of an impressive list of names including Anthony Gormley, Damien Hirst, Sarah Lucas, Henry Moore, David Nash, Eduardo Paolozzi, William Tucker, Gavin Turk and others.
There is a lot to see - some is a bit sentimental, some a little kitsch, but overall it is a pretty impressive display. I haven't seen it all yet but below is a sample (in alphabetical order) from my first visit. See Part 2 for some supplementary images. (Personal favourites, so far: John Hoskin and Sarah Lucas.) Click on images to enlarge.

Anthony Abrahams, Man with Raised Arm, Marble

Bruce Beasley, Breakout II, Bronze

Daniel Chadwick, Constellation 2014, Stainless steel, acrylic sheet, motor and timer

Lynn Chadwick, Sitting Couple on Bench, Stainless steeel

Michael Cooper,  Snail, Bronze

Steve Dilworth, Owl, Oak, horn and enclosed owl

Anthony Gormley, Pose, Cast iron

Damien Hirst, Anatomy of an Angel (Black), (detail), Bronze

John Hoskin, Cantilever Square, Welded steel

Sarah Lucas, Nahuiollin, Bronze

Charles Lutyens, Outraged Christ, Wood

William Tucker, Emperor, Bronze

Gavin Turk, Nomad, Bronze

Barry Flanagan - Tate Britain

Barry Flanagan, 4 casb 2 '67, 1967 (Tate Collection)

Barry Flanagan: Early Works 1965-1982 is at Tate Britain until 2 January 2012. Read Barry Flanagan: Hare Today, but Not gone Tomorrow, by Richard McNeff and his 2009 obituary by Catherine Lampert and review by Laura Cumming.

Barry Flanagan, aaing j gni aa, 1965 (Tate Collection)

Barry Flanagan, Pdreeoo, 1965

Barry Flanagan, ringn '66, 1966 (Tate Collection)

Barry Flanagan, Light on Light on Sacks, 1969

Barry Flanagan, Leaping Hare embellished, 2/3 Jan '80 , 1980 (Tate Collection)

Modern British sculpture in Gloucester

Sarah Lucas, Stanway John, concrete and bronze, 2008

Gloucester Cathedral, in association with Pangolin Editions (the sculpture foundry in Chalford, nr Stroud), is hosting an exhibition of modern British sculpture entitled Crucible. The 76 works on show include sculptures by an impressive list of artists, including, Sarah Lucas, Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley, Marcus Harvey, Lynn Chadwick, Eduardo Paolozzi, Phillip King...

The exhibition runs until 30th October, 2010.

Crucible, has been tagged, in its publicity, as the sculpture exhibition of the decade; while that remains to be judged, the Royal Academy of Arts has announced its forthcoming major survey show, Modern British Sculpture, which may well be the sculpture show of the next decade. It will run from 22nd January – 7th April 2011. More on that story, later.