Clive Barker British, b. 1940
Study of Francis Bacon, No. 3, 1978
Polished bronze
10.5 x 18.5 cm
Unique
In 1978 Clive Barker made 12 unique bronze portraits of his close friend Francis Bacon. Barker first took a series of polaroids of Bacon and reworked these portrait 'Studies' into...
In 1978 Clive Barker made 12 unique bronze portraits of his close friend Francis Bacon. Barker first took a series of polaroids of Bacon and reworked these portrait 'Studies' into rich in allusions to some of the most memorable paintings by Bacon.
In 'Study of Francis Bacon No. 3', the severely distorted form suggests the molten bronze imploding on itself, in a manner equivalent to Bacon's characteristic smearing of facial features to hide their characteristics.
Clive Barker is an internationally renowned Pop Artist who came to sculptural maturity in 1966. Barker is known to cast the found object into shining metal, thus transforming its meaning and interpretation. As such, Barker is the heir to Marcel Duchamp and the forerunner of Jeff Koons.
Barker's works are in museum collections worldwide including: British Museum, London; Tate, London; National Portrait Gallery, London; Staedtische Kunsthalle Mannheim; Museum fuer Modern Kunst, Frankfurt; National Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; Modern and Contemporary Art Museum, Lisbon; The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia.
In 'Study of Francis Bacon No. 3', the severely distorted form suggests the molten bronze imploding on itself, in a manner equivalent to Bacon's characteristic smearing of facial features to hide their characteristics.
Clive Barker is an internationally renowned Pop Artist who came to sculptural maturity in 1966. Barker is known to cast the found object into shining metal, thus transforming its meaning and interpretation. As such, Barker is the heir to Marcel Duchamp and the forerunner of Jeff Koons.
Barker's works are in museum collections worldwide including: British Museum, London; Tate, London; National Portrait Gallery, London; Staedtische Kunsthalle Mannheim; Museum fuer Modern Kunst, Frankfurt; National Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; Modern and Contemporary Art Museum, Lisbon; The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia.
Provenance
Collection of George Melly, London; Private Collection, London.
Exhibitions
1978, Clive Barker: 12 Studies of Francis Bacon. Francis Bacon: 3 Studies of Clive Barker, Felicity Samuel Gallery, London
1981-82, Clive Barker: Sculpture, Drawings & Prints, Retrospective Exhibition, Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield and tour
2017, Clive Barker Pop Art Sculpture 1961 - 1982: An Individual Story, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, WolverhamptonLiterature
Clive Barker: Sculpture, Drawings and Prints Retrospective Exhibition catalogue, Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield and tour, cat. no. 45.
FERMON, An Jo and Marco LIVINGSTONE. Clive Barker. Sculpture. Catalogue Raisonné 1958- 2000. Milan, 2002, cat. no. 172, p. 118, ill.
Clive Barker Pop Art Sculpture 1961 - 1982: An Individual Story, exhibition catalogue with texts by An Jo FERMON and NUGENT Marguerite, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Wolverhampton, cat. no. 41, ill. p. 76.
