Author(s): Penelope Curtis

Art

From Leighton to Lucas, this magnificent survey explores sculpture in Britain over the last 130 years. Considering the way in which sculpture mediates issues of national identity and how Britains links with its Empire have shaped its artistic output, the book also highlights the dialogues between British and international sculpture. The importance of the countrys landscape as a location and medium is examined, as is the perennial choice faced by the sculptor between figuration and abstraction. Sculpture has changed dramatically in the last century. Traditional materials have given way to expanded practices and the dematerialisation of the art object altogether. With incisive essays by a number of leading authorities, and including previously unpublished archive material and new bibliographic sources, this compelling book documents these seismic shifts.