Thursday 11 October 2012

Chatsworth ~ Beyond Limits ~ 2012/8

Exhibit No. 8 of the Beyond Limits exhibition of Barry Flanagan's work at Chatsworth is Six Foot Leaping Hare on Steel Pyramid.

Beyond Limits ~ 2012 ... exhibit number 8

This one took a bit of time to find. I had the map showing the location of all the exhibits but it was rather tucked away ...

Beyond Limits ~ 2012 ... exhibit number 8

Since my last posting about Barry Flanagan's exhibits I have watched the BBC programme about his work. It's called 'The Man Who Sculpted Hares: Barry Flanagan, A Life' and it is still available on BBC iPlayer for another four days.

Whether you will enjoy it depends on you I think. I did learn that whilst the film was being made by Peter Bach during the last year or so of Barry Flanagan's life the sculptor was suffering from motor neurone disease which had rendered him incapable of speech. He would communicate by writing in a notebook though at one stage when describing his situation he wrote "It's a pisser.".

I took the photograph below through the surrounding bushes ...

Beyond Limits ~ 2012 ... exhibit number 8  

Peter Bach spoke to many friends of Barry Flanagan one of whom described him as a "maverick". Peter Bach also spoke to a number of people who were looking at the sculptures in different countries ~ the US, the UK and the Belgian/Dutch border amongst them.

He showed some of the film to Barry Flanagan who was seated in a wheelchair and who seemed engrossed by people's reactions to his work.

Towards the end of the film Peter Bach spoke to an Irish sculptor that Barry Flanagan had helped and Peter Bach asked the Irishman if he had ever talked to Barry Flanagan about his hares. The Irishman thought for a moment, and with a smile simply answered "Yes ...".

We never learned why Barry Flanagan seemed so preoccupied with them.

The final photograph is a fairly straightforward image ...

Beyond Limits ~ 2012 ... exhibit number 8  

Barry Flanagan died in August 2009 in Ibiza where he lived.

Since watching the film I probably like Barry Flanagan's hare just that much more.

10 comments:

  1. This is my favorite so far. I could easily see this in my garden...

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  2. This one is also my favourite so far, too. I guess Flanagan's reasons for using the hare as his chief subject has gone to the grave with him. Or maybe it was something as simple as it being his favourite animal. Who knows?

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    1. The Irish sculptor wasn't going to reveal anything, that's for sure.

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  3. Yes I like this too,he must have been fascinated with them.I wonder if he did any other animals.It is a sad way to end your life,but he has left a good legacy with his art.Ann

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    1. There was his elephants, of course ... and there is another animal to come Ann.

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  4. Oh I really like this one. It is lyrical through the flow of the hare's body - with the rhythmical pyramid below that looks like a harp's strings. A sort of "Ta-daaaaa!" - HARE! LOL :)

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    1. I think this one is the most popular one so far Jenny.

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