Papers
Original research delivered as part of the Hepworth Research Network programme of events.
Hepworth and the Tache: Drawings and Paintings, 1957-8
Stephen Feeke
In 1956 Barbara Hepworth made the decision to start reusing metal for her sculpture, a medium which she had not used since her juvenilia of the 1920s. The advent of Hepworth’s own ‘bronze age’ represented a seismic shift in her practice and she not only developed new techniques for making sculpture but also transformed the way that she painted and drew. The stylistic changes she adopted in both two and three dimensions owed much to her interest in Tachisme. In this paper, curator and art historian Stephen Feeke aims to reconsider a particular group of works and the factors which may have contributed to their manufacture.
Based on a paper delivered at the Hepworth Research Network Launch, 12-13 March 2020
Terrain of the Queer Body
Ro Robertson
Artist Ro Robertson discusses their relationship with the landscapes of West Yorkshire and West Cornwall. They discuss the contours, hollows and holes of the work of Barbara Hepworth, the Queer body in the landscape and the idea of occupying negative space.
Based on a paper delivered at the Hepworth Research Network Launch, 12-13 March 2020
Form and Colour: Friendship, Patronage and Collaboration between Barbara Hepworth, Leslie Martin and Sadie Speight
Alice Strang
The personal papers of the architect Professor Sir Leslie Martin were purchased by the National Galleries of Scotland in 2002. In this paper, curator and art historian Alice Strang explores the correspondence between Martin and his wife, the designer Sadie Speight, with Barbara Hepworth, which covers the period from 1935 to 1972 and contains forty three items, including letters and photographs.
Based on a paper delivered at the Hepworth Research Network Launch, 12-13 March 2020
Colouring Sculpture: Material Evidence from Barbara Hepworth’s Working Spaces in St Ives
Melanie Rolfe
Recent years have seen a welcome focus on Hepworth’s preserved studios at the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden and a developing understanding of her working spaces. Potentially these areas may contain undisturbed evidence which could provide an insight into aspects of her practice. One such area of practice is the colouring of the sculptural works, especially the bronzes. In this paper, Tate Sculpture Conservator Melanie Rolfe demonstrates how further research into this area might prove useful for both curators and conservators.
Based on a paper delivered at the Hepworth Research Network Launch, 12-13 March 2020
