PLASTERS : CASTS AND COPIES

25 Apr 2015-8 May 2016

Overview

Taking the permanent display of Barbara Hepworth’s 44 plasters and prototypes as a starting point, The Hepworth Wakefield presents an exhibition re-examining this often overlooked medium. The display will explore the shifting status of plaster: from its use in 18th-19th century teaching casts of classical sculpture, to its perception as a modern material prized for its ready availability, through to contemporary artists’ responses to the material. In addition to works from the Wakefield Art Collection, key loans from the Royal Academy and the Victoria and Albert Museum will be on display, showcasing the use of plaster by Hepworth and her contemporaries including Jean Arp, Ben Nicholson and Kurt Schwitters.