About
Hauser & Wirth Somerset will present a major exhibition of works by Henry Moore, curated by Hannah Higham of the Henry Moore Foundation in collaboration with the artist’s daughter Mary Moore. A comprehensive survey spanning six decades will extend across all five gallery spaces, in addition to an open-air presentation of seminal works including: ‘The Arch’ (1963/69), ‘Large Interior Form’ (1953 – 1954) and ‘Locking Piece’ (1962 – 1963).
The exhibition takes as its starting point the artist’s early fascination with the Neolithic site of Stonehenge and continued exploration of the upright abstract form. Moore first encountered the prehistoric monuments under the moonlight as a young man in 1921, fifty-two years later he embarked on a series of lithographs on the subject. Moore was fascinated by the relationship between the towering masses of ancient stone, their size and siting in the landscape, and the mysterious ‘depths and distances’ evoked on his returning visits. For Moore, the power and intensity of such large forms set against land and sky precipitated career-long investigations into scale, material and volume and the juxtaposition of art and nature, which are presented throughout the exhibition.
Alongside Moore’s most celebrated works, the viewer is immersed in a deeply personal selection of artworks and objects curated by Mary Moore, set within the centre of the exhibition. The collection contains almost 100 items from her father’s studio and home, providing an immersive insight into the working life of the sculptor and intimate memories she holds through these objects. The unique experience brings together Moore’s visual library and the vocabulary of ideas that he developed during his working life.
The exhibition was organised with support from the Henry Moore Foundation.
Henry Moore with three of his Upright Motives, ca. 1955. Courtesy The Henry Moore Foundation. Photo: Barry Warner
Events
A tour with James Copper, Sculpture Conservator and Senior Technician of the Henry Moore Foundation. Join James Copper on a tour of our exhibition ‘Henry Moore. Sharing Form’. Copper will share his knowledge and expertise on Moore’s use of material and process, delving into the technicalities…
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Join us for a conversation celebrating ‘Henry Moore. Sharing Form.’ The specialist panel features guest curator Hannah Higham of the Henry Moore Foundation, Mary Moore, the artist’s daughter and Neil Wilkin, curator of ‘The World of Stonehenge’ exhibition, currently on view at The British Museum. Moderated…
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About the artist
The human figure, enigmatically isolated or in relationship with others, is both the stimulus and the crux of all Henry Moore’s works. For him, creating his sculptures was not so much an abstract exercize in looking at the human figure, but a…
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