Royal Academicians Nigel Hall and David Mach join ten other established sculptors in a group exhibition of sculpture, curated by artists Sean Henry and David Worthington and sponsored by The Lightbox Gallery
FOREVER IN THE NOW brings together 25 sculptures by a 12 artists who each pursue individual and personal visions to create thought-provoking and memorable artworks. The exhibited works span the divide between figuration and abstraction, and yet remain in close visual dialogue with each other and with the viewer. The show is being held in a new, purpose-built 350 sq meter gallery at the heart of Victoria Place, Woking – a large new development in the town centre and within easy walking distance of Woking station.
The exhibition runs until May 22 2022.
Open WEDNESDAY to SUNDAY, 10am to 5pm. Access free.
"The title for the show comes from the Japanese American artist Isamu Noguchi (1904 – 1988) who talked of his stone sculptures existing “forever in the now” in defiance of the constant change of ecological flow. It is a theme that all the work here aspires to, and is perhaps at the core of our motivation to make art.
All the artists in this exhibition have, through their careers, pursued an individual and personal vision regardless of prevailing tastes and fashions. From different starting points and using a wide variety of materials, they have each found inspiration from the body and from abstract form, and their artwork bears witness to the myriad routes and experiences that figuration, representation and abstraction have to offer.
The concept of the show was born from the frustration of two years of cancelled events and lockdowns, and grew from our shared desire to bring sculpture to a wider audience and into the heart of the public realm.
It is a non-commercial group exhibition held in collaboration with The Lightbox Gallery & Museum and Victoria Place, and features the artists listed below, who are showing together for the first time"
James Capper (born 1987) adapts the techniques, materials and complex problem-solving processes of engineering and innovation to develop and broaden the potential of his sculpture.
Laura Ford (born 1961) creates imaginative figures and installations that are simultaneously endearing, alluring and unsettling, using materials that include fabric, found objects, plaster and bronze.
Lucy Glendinning (born 1964) works predominantly with the figure as a method for investigating psychological and philosophical themes, and is interested in both engagement with the viewer and with the subconscious.
Nigel Hall (RA) (born 1943) is one of Britain’s most best known sculptors. He had a solo show at The Royal Academy in 2011, and has work in 28 museum collections worldwide. His works, principally made of steel, aluminium or polished wood are concerned with three-dimensional space, mass and line, as well as the passage of time.
Sean Henry (born 1965) catches his subjects at moments of introspection and realisation. Through subtle adaptations of colour, scale and context his works invest our mundane, everyday experiences with significant meaning.
Nicola Hicks (MBE) (born 1960) makes work that explores our anthropomorphic relationship to the animal world, creating humanised creatures and beast-like humans that evoke a strong psychological presence.
Simon Hitchens (born 1967) is known for his striking, monumental sculptures. Using a variety of materials and methods, he is fascinated by the difference between the human and the non-human, what passes and what outlasts.
Kenny Hunter (born 1962) makes work for both the public realm and the gallery which embodies his main preoccupation - the place of monumental sculpture within the contemporary world and its relationship to cultural memory.
David Mach (RA) (born 1956) is one of the UK’s most successful and respected artists, first showing at the Tate Gallery in 1988. He is known for his dynamic and imaginative collages and large-scale sculptures, using a diverse range of media from shipping containers to coat hangers, postcards and matches.
Eilis O’Connell (born 1953) is based in Ireland and makes sculptures that show her meticulous attention to surface detail and close observation of the world around her. Made in varying materials from steel and bronze to plastics and found objects, her sculptures evoke a feeling of timeless permanence.
Richard Perry (born 1960) carves stone works that explore the juxtaposition between organic freeform and geometric sculpture. Through careful planning and intuitive reduction he creates illusory forms that strive to break free from their underlying rationale.
David Worthington (born 1962) creates stone sculptures that are influenced by Modernist art, but layered with science fiction imagery, paint and other materials to draw the viewer towards the possibilities of new hybrid life forms.
We are grateful for the support of Victoria Place and The Lightbox Gallery & Museum in helping make this exhibition possible.
For photo, videos, and much more information about the show please visit the exhibtion's bespoke website FOREVER IN THE NOW