Designer Desire: John Cleal

 

 
 
 
 
 
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The recent image above from our friend Alistair at West Wales Antiques took us on a journey of discovery to find out more about John Cleal and his art.

South African-born John Cleal (1929-2007) worked as an illustrator and cartoonist in the newspaper industry during the 1950s and 1960s. He was, at one time, a partner in the London-based Henrion Design Associates.

In 1962, Cleal and his family settled in Fishguard eventually founding the Workshop Wales Gallery in Lower Town, Fishguard in 1970. It offered free studio, exhibition and retail space to up to 15 artists. In the 1990s, the gallery relocated to Manorowen and is currently being run by his son, Mitchell, also an artist.

In 2006, he gifted ‘Looking Up‘ (shown below) to Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest where he had earlier received care as a patient. It was one of many donations that he made to the Welsh health service.

We’ve embedded a few other examples of his work below that we’ve found online.

The magic of carving a solid block of stone or wood never ceases to amaze and excite me, I know the block contains the image but realising it is the magic and the mystery.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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'Looking Up' sculpture by John Cleal at Withybush HospitalLooking Up‘ at Withybush Hospital

'Juno' sculpture by John ClealJuno

Portrait of John Clealcredit

Additional image credits:
Geograph | MutualArt

Designer Desire: Robert Brumby

Montage of Robert Brumby artworks

Although Robert Brumby predominantly paints these days, for this post we’re going to concentrate on his mid century and later sculpture and ecclesiastical works.

Brumby is a graduate of the Royal College of Art. He set up a studio and Gallery in The Shambles in York city centre. He’s a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and, after many years working in art education and lecturing, he became head of the York School of Art and Design in 1990.

He was commissioned by Desmond Williams Associates to create the ceramic reredos (altar screen) of Christ in Glory for the Church of St Augustine’s, Manchester. The brief was that “the piece should not contrast against the dark brick interior if it were to be of such a scale; for fear that it would dominate the space.”

The church interior embellishments by Brumby included the external plaque and statue, holy water stoups, wall light brackets, circular font with ceramic inset and aluminium lid, altar table with bronze inset and, most likely, Stations of the Cross sculptures. Also by him was a memorial plaque fashioned from mangled plate, damaged in the Blitz, commemorating the earlier parish church which this replaced.

He designed the 3-metre high ceramic Madonna and Child statue for the Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool (affectionately refereed to as “Paddy’s Wigwam” or sometimes the “Mersey Funnel”.

In addition, he’s responsible for the painted reredos for the Cathedral of St Mary’s, Middlesbrough.

Another Roman Catholic church where his work can be found is St Michael’s, Wolverhampton which was completed in 1968. Behind the altar the reredos (Grade II listed) of The Ascending Christ is formed by a large, full height abstract ceramic relief of the Cross and the Crown of Thorns. He also designed the stone font. The work is described thus:

An abstract design was chosen deliberately in order not to distract the eye from the Altar ceremonies. Its purpose is to aid concentration not compete for it. as to what it depicts, the artist is naturally reluctant to say, for his is not a literal artist. As a painter he communicates his ideas by means of the images he creates; understanding is in the eye of the beholder. However, here are the signposts he offers to guide our eye and our understanding.
What the painting is ‘about’ is the resurrection. It symbolises the story of our human struggle; our spiritual development, our materialistic desire, our hunger for knowledge and truth, our ache for peace.

Portrait of Robert BrumbyFor a number of years, Robert Brumby divided his time between painting in Yorkshire and the Languedoc in the south of France, while recent works have included seascapes inspired by the Northumbrian coast.

There’s a lovely write up by Rachael Fraser of what Brumby is doing currently; she’s a photographer and he is her grandfather.

 

 
 
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Additional image credits:
Invaluable | Mainstream Modern| Rachael Fraser Photography

Designer Desire: Eoghan Bridge

Montage of Eoghan Bridge sculptures Portrait of Eoghan Bridgecredit

Eoghan Bridges (b. 1963) is an Edinburgh-born, Yorkshire-based artist. He’s a second generation sculptor working in a number of mediums, including bronze, ceramic, resin and aluminium.

His subject matter is often human and equine forms, regularly within the same piece.

I have no background involving horses and I don’t ride. But the horse has such a strong history in art, and its role in building and transport has been fundamental to civilisation.
I find the combination of horse and figure fascinating – it is the subtle composition, almost intuitive. I can express any feeling of emotion through the horse and rider.

Eoghan has endured many tragic experiences in his life, and these have infused into his work.

He sells via his own website and those of a number of galleries, including Kilmorack Gallery and Iona House Gallery.

Additional image credits:

Saatchi Art | Strathearn Gallery

Designer Desire: Ruth Asawa

Montage of Ruth Asawa wire sculptures | H is for Home

Ruth Asawa (1926-2013) was a California-born, Japanese-American fine artist whose practise involved creating large-scale sculpture using woven wire. Her back-story is both tragic and inspiring.

In 1942, during World War II and after the bombing of Pearl Harbour, Asawa’s father (who’d been living in the U.S.A. for forty years) was arrested and taken to New Mexico to be interned. She, her mother and five of her siblings were also interned – in Arkansas. Ruth didn’t see her father for 6 years. One of her sisters, who was on a trip to Japan at the time, was barred from re-entering the US; she had to spend the rest of the war away from her family.

Despite all this, in 1994, Asawa shared:

I hold no hostilities for what happened; I blame no one. Sometimes good comes through adversity. I would not be who I am today had it not been for the internment, and I like who I am.

In 1939, in a school competition, she won 1st prize for her drawing of the Statue of Liberty – a project to produce an artwork that represents what it means to be an American. While at internment school, she gained a scholarship from a Quaker organisation to attend teacher training college in Milwaukee. Later at college in North Carolina, she was tutored by Buckminster Fuller, John Cage, Franz Kline and Josef Albers.

Her balloon-shaped wire works were originally inspired by Mexican basket makers she encountered during a trip to the country in 1947.

I was interested in it because of the economy of a line, making something in space, enclosing it without blocking it out. It’s still transparent. I realized that if I was going to make these forms, which interlock and interweave, it can only be done with a line because a line can go anywhere.

Asawa’s artworks sell at luxury auction houses such as Bonhams and Christie’s, often fetching millions of U.S. dollars.

For those like us who can’t afford an original example of her work, there are numerous books about her an her work that are available from Amazon and eBay. Titles include: A Life Made by Hand: The Story of Ruth Asawa by Andrea D’Aquino, Everything She Touched: The Life of Ruth Asawa by Marilyn Chase, The Sculpture of Ruth Asawa: Contours in the Air by Daniell Cornell, Ruth Asawa: Life’s Work by Tamara Schenkenberg, Aruna D’souza, et al. and Ruth Asawa: A Sculpting Life by Traci Van Wagoner Joan Schoettler.

Later this year (2020), The U.S. Postal Service will be issuing a series of commemorative stamps with a selection of Asawa’s designs.

Portrait of Ruth Asawacredit

Additional image credits:

Bonhams | Christies