Henry Moore at 1 Maritime Plaza

 Posted by on October 13, 2012
Oct 132012
 

1 Maritime Plaza

Standing Figure Knife Edged by Henry Moore – 9161

This is an enlarged bone with the addition of a small head. Moore had always been fascinated by bones.

“Since my student days I have liked the shape of bones, and have drawn them, studied them in the Natural History Museum, found them on sea-shores and saved them out of the stewpot. There are many structural, and sculptural principles to be learnt from bones, e.g. that in spite of their lightness they have great strength. Some bones, such as the breast bones of birds, have the lightweight fineness of a knife-blade. Finding such a bone led to me using this knife-edge thinness in 1961 in a sculpture Seated Woman (thin neck). In this figure the thin neck and head, by contrast with the width and bulk of the body, give more monumentality to the work. Later in 1961 I used this knife-edged thinness throughout a whole figure, and produced this Standing Figure.”

Henry Moore quoted in Phillip James, Henry Moore on Sculpture; a collection of the sculptor’s writings and spoken words, Macdonald. London 1966, p.278

 

Henry Moore (1898 – 1986) is perhaps the most influential public sculptor of this century. Drawing on his studies of Classical, pre-Columbian and African art, Moore created original and truly modern sculptural forms. Abstractions of organic shapes were his primary motif. His seated, standing, and reclining figures comprise an enduring vocabulary reflecting the universality of the human condition.

“The observation of nature is part of an artist’s life, it enlarges his form [and] knowledge, keeps him fresh and from working only by formula, and feeds inspiration.” ~ Henry Moore

“In my opinion, everything, every shape, every bit of natural form, animals, people, pebbles, shells, anything you like are all things that can help you to make a sculpture.” ~ Henry Moore as quoted in Five British Sculptors (Work and Talk) by Warren Forma, 1964.

 

San Francisco is fortunate enough to have four Henry Moores, the other accessible one sits in front of Davies Symphony Hall. This piece is owned by the Golden Gateway Center Collection of Fine Art.

Civic Center – Henry Moore

 Posted by on March 21, 2012
Mar 212012
 
Civic Center
Davies Symphony Hall
Corner Van Ness and Grove Street
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Large Four Piece Reclining Figure by Henry Moore – 1973 – Bronze

This piece, by Henry Moore, sits prominently in the Civic Center, and an easy one to see and enjoy by anyone that visits San Francisco.

In the early 1970s Moore produced a group of monumental sculptures relying heavily on the curve or arc as its principal motif. This work exemplifies the trend, its complex semi-abstract composition and highly polished bronze patina making it a ‘difficult’ work to read. The hollows, voids and truncated elements do, however, bind together very successfully to make a sculpture filled with warmth and movement.

There are seven casts of this sculpture around the world. San Francisco’s, reportedly purchased for $400,000, was a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Rouda in 1980.

Henry Spencer Moore (30 July 1898 – 31 August 1986) was an English sculptor and artist. He was best known for his semi-abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art.

His forms are usually abstractions of the human figure, typically depicting mother-and-child or reclining figures. Moore’s works are usually suggestive of the female body, apart from a phase in the 1950s when he sculpted family groups. His forms are generally pierced or contain hollow spaces. Many interpreters liken the undulating form of his reclining figures to the landscape and hills of his birthplace, Yorkshire.

Moore was born in Castleford, the son of a coal miner. He became well-known through his carved marble and larger-scale abstract cast bronze sculptures, and was instrumental in introducing a particular form of modernism to the United Kingdom. His ability in later life to fulfill large-scale commissions made him exceptionally wealthy. Yet he lived frugally and most of the money he earned went towards endowing the Henry Moore Foundation, which continues to support education and promotion of the arts.

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