We’ve come across these very seasonal photographs of Dame Elisabeth Frink’s Dorset studio grounds whilst cataloguing the collection. They date back to the 1980s and feature some of her most famous sculptures at Woolland blanketed in snow.
These snow-covered sculptures are a way of dipping into the Frink archive and discovering some of her most well-known pieces, and later works. Annette Ratuszniak’s, ‘Elisabeth Frink Catalogue Raisonné of Sculpture 1947-1993’, provides a background to these striking sculptures.
This first photograph is of Frink’s house at Woolland including her glass fronted studio where she sculpted between 1977 until her death in 1993.
Among the collection, looking like they are wearing snow hats and scarves, are various Head sculptures 1967-1969 including the Goggle Heads and Tribute Heads. Man, either as victim or aggressor, was a dominant theme throughout the career of British sculptor Elisabeth Frink.
Seated Man II FCR351 Bronze with a green patina, 1986, was sculpted as an edition of 4. It is interesting because it is signed with Frink on the right foot.
Walking further into Woolland is the Standing Man FCR346, 1984/1986 left; and Running Man (also known as Front Runner) FCR348, 1986, with Walking Man (later named Riace I) FCR347, 1986, all commissioned by WH Smith for the company headquarters in Swindon Wiltshire.
In Memoriam II FCR302 Bronze, 1981, dominates the landscape.
‘In addition to providing structural emphasis, the scored and pitted surfaces act as brutal reminders of the ongoing struggle in which man engages for psychological and physical survival. Bearing an expression that is at once intensely introspective and harshly determined, the huge head of In Memoriam II seems to be an optimistic monument to the ability of mankind to make right choices in a world where he is the instrument of his own destruction.’
- Annette Ratuszniak, quotes Barbara Galetti’s article ’Elisabeth Frink’ Arts magazine, New York January 1984, pp 49-50.
Finally, the figure of Judas FCR126 Bronze, 1963. In Frink’s own words,
‘The early Judas is one of my most interesting pieces – or that’s how I always think of it. Getting to a piece like that is a gradual process, an idea starts way back. With Judas I wanted to do this massive figure and I wanted a figure which was fending off some kind of attack. And the more the idea developed, the more it became for me a figure of betrayal – it was very strange. Ideas often come in a cock-eyed fashion. Judas is quite a strong figure, but he also has a weakness about him. With his arm out, he’s making a gesture of invitation, yet fending you off at the same time. Also he’s blinded. It’s the first piece of sculpture I made with shades over the eyes, and in that it leads to the Goggle Heads. It’s a figure I’m deeply attached to because it marked a major change in my work.’
Lucie-Smith and Frink, 1994 p.116
We hope you have enjoyed this short seasonal introduction to Frink through the snowy back drop of Woolland, you can find out more about the Collection by visiting the catalogue and searching D-FRK.