Henry Moore, the semi-abstract British sculptor, active mostly from the 1930s to '80s created very large and dramatic figures and shapes that are instantly recognizable as his work.
This piece above is well known in Canada, situated as it is outside the iconic Toronto City Hall. It is called "The Archer" and was completed in 1965.
It's a large modernist bronze piece that exists right out among the people, where you can touch it and feel its presence in a tactile sense.
Moore's stuff works well this way. Some are more 'representational' than others. The archer perhaps looks to some like a vertebra or a giant petrified pelvis.
The shape of one of his studies for "The Archer" I personally find even a bit more pleasing. It's shown here.It's interesting how much he allows his final work to diverge from his earlier studies. There are certainly similarities, but also dramatic differences.
One feels the weight and the strong statements in these pieces, being so big and massive. And too being out in proximity with the viewer gives them a confidence and a no-fear attitude that serves his work well. They are not fragile creations behind a rope in a gallery. They are the products of a bold and expansive period. The 1960s, an era of growth and industrial economies firing on all cylinders.
Even the location is an interesting one, installed in Stevenage UK. I've wandered through the edge of this 'NewTown' - a rather dismal concrete post-war creation thrown up to accommodate displaced population. It's rather cold and inhuman in many ways, and the family seems to be pulling together despite the harsh environment.
I find this a poignant statue at our current period in history too. With millions of displace peoples in the middle east. As war and violence illustrate that we learn nothing from the past, there are many people headed north and west, seeking to survive, seeking to draw from their inner strength not unlike that shown here.
There's some strong connection between Henry Moore's art and Canada - and I confess I don't know why that is. But I'm glad we get to see it so often. The Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto is home to perhaps the largest collection of his work in the world.
This panorama shows the Moore gallery for your enjoyment. But it's quite worth a visit if you are in the Toronto area. Forgive me for letting it blast across the page here, but it's kind of fun seeing this panoramic view.
