Tag: sculpture

Designer Desire: Eric Gill

Mosaic of Eric Gill designs | H is for Home

Eric Gill (1882-1940) is probably best known for his typeface designs – most famously, the influential Gill Sans and another created for WH Smith’s shop signage. He was also the creator of Prospero and Ariel, the sculpture that sits above the entrance to the BBC’s Broadcasting House and the Stations of the Cross (the preparatory drawings for them are pictured at the top of our mosaic) in Westminster Cathedral.

He founded the Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic, a religious Arts & Crafts commune in Ditchling, Sussex. The community embraced self-sufficiency and shunned modernity and mechanisation. He was obsessed with Catholicism and sex in equal measure; he is infamous for his extramarital affairs and sexual relations with his sisters and daughters. Despite this abhorrent behaviour, I agree with art critic, Ben Lawrence:

To separate art from the artist, to abhor his work because of what he has done, is to close your eyes to the endlessly joyous possibilities of artistic endeavour.

Prints of many of his original works are available on art.co.uk and eBay.

Portrait of Eric Gill

Image credits:

The British Museum | Tate Galleries

Designer Desire: Ron Hitchens

Collage of artworks by Ron Hitchins | H is for Home

This week’s Designer Desire feature is of Londoner, Ron Hitchins (1926-2019). He lived a very diverse and colourful life; as well as producing magnificent, sculptural artworks, he’d been a tailor and British pioneer of Spanish dance. He initiated the Ron Hitchins Dance Bursary and was known in Flamenco dance circles as “El Chino”.

His work – when you come across it – is surprisingly affordable. You can get hold of one of his wall sculptures for less than £100 at auction.

He’s been the subject of a couple of photographers’ projects – here’s what one said about him:

Ron is such an interesting character. In the 1930s, shirts all used to be either cream, white or grey, but Ron used to make his own shirts, similar to ones he is wearing in the photographs. These shirts had very loud patterns and were hugely outrageous in amongst the fashion of the time. Later he explained that a lot of his patterns were stolen and mimicked and he was left behind in this world. However, he still maintained the nickname “The Flash” by his friends due to this love of bright colour and pattern. Later he focussed more on fine art. All the art in the background, including the doors and ceramics were created by him.

Collage of portraits of Ron Hitchinscredit

Below is a fabulous interview with Hitchins where he doesn’t talk about his art, only his early working life and dancing. Nevertheless, it’s a really interesting watch & listen, and you get a few glimpses of his art on the walls of his home!

Ron Hitchins; Made in Hackney from OpenSchoolEast on Vimeo.

Additional image credits:

1st Dibs | Saunders Fine Art | Woolley and Wallis

Designer Desire: Oswaldo Guayasamín

Mosaic of works by Oswaldo Guayasamín | H is for Home

We’ve only recently discovered the incredible work of Ecuadorian artist, Oswaldo Guayasamín (1919-1999).

Guayasamín was a prolific producer of paintings, drawings, sculpture and jewellery. His award-winning works were often very political and sometimes controversial. He highlighted subjects such as poverty, injustice, political oppression, racism and the class divide in Latin America. His paintings can be haunting, unsettling and, at the same time, exquisitely beautiful.

If you ever get the opportunity to visit Ecuador, visit the Capilla del Hombre (Chapel of Man) in the capital, Quito where many of his works can be viewed. It reminds us of Kettle’s Yard, but on a much larger scale.

Portrait of Oswaldo Guayasamíncredit

Image credits:

1st Dibs | Artnet | Christies | eBay | Invaluable

Tuesday Huesday: The Woods by StokkeAustad & Andreas Engesvik

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The Woods by Norwegian design studios StokkeAustad and Andreas Engesvik

Oslo-based design studios StokkeAustad & Andreas Engesvik have collaborated for a second time. On this occasion they’ve created “The Woods”, a beautiful glass sculpture inspired by the forests & lights of the north. Made from hand blown glass, each sculpture consists of seven trees – joined in two separate sections… Just exquisite!