Barry Flanagan
RUGBY SCULPTURE
Lot 100
Result:
Not Sold
Estimate:
€25,000 - €35,000
Barry Flanagan OBE, RA, 1941-2009
RUGBY SCULPTURE, 2007
Cast bronze, 12" 6" 4 3/4", (30.5 15.2 12.1cm), Incised signature and number to basef-/20 ac 3/4/8. (ed. 3 of 4, prior to run of 8)
Provenance: Waddington Custot, Mayfair,...
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Lot 100
Barry Flanagan
RUGBY SCULPTURE

Estimate:
€25,000 - €35,000
Barry Flanagan OBE, RA, 1941-2009
RUGBY SCULPTURE, 2007
Cast bronze, 12" 6" 4 3/4", (30.5 15.2 12.1cm), Incised signature and number to basef-/20 ac 3/4/8. (ed. 3 of 4, prior to run of 8)
Provenance: Waddington Custot, Mayfair, London (April-May 2008), no.23
Literature: B. Dawson,Barry Flanagan Sculptures2001-2008, London, Waddington Galleries, 2008, no. 23, illus. p.65.
Born in Wales, Flanagan lived in London and, later, in Dublin, becoming an Irish citizen. In this country many people formed an affectionate attachment to his work when in 2006 ten of his famous hare sculptures were temporarily installed along Dublins OConnell Street. Hes well known all over the world for his large dancing hares, like the one at the entrance to IMMA. They all take on human qualities, celebrating the exuberance, eccentricity and fun in the human spirit. You might find one of his hares playing drums, jiving, or even playing cricket. Flanagans approach is playful and irreverent, seeming to mock the pompous pretentiousness that underpins much contemporary art. In doing so, his work appeals to a broad audience who are able to connectdirectlyvisually and emotionallywithout the need for overly intellectual theoretical jargon.
In 1980 Flanagan was invited to exhibit his rope drawings in ROSC. A precursor of what was to follow later, the ropes were abstract drawings in space. Visually, he has always thought in linear terms, in the same way, perhaps, that lines underpin the paintings of artists like Daumier or Toulouse Lautrec. In a Flanagan sculpture, the linear movement of a piece, rather than its volume, is the main conveyer of emotion. A superb draughtman, he shows the same spontaneous fluidity when modelling with pipe cleaners (eventually dipped in wax and then cast in bronze), as in his 2002Hare Theme C III.(lot 29).Abstract lines twist and turn, activating the empty space around the sculpture, with the shape of a bounding hare unexpectedly materialising in a surprising flash.
Looking atRugby Sculpture, one cant help being seduced by the liveliness of sinuous lines that form the hare. Its easy to imagine the artist spontaneously playing with clay as he twists, knots and bends it around a linear armature. With astonishing simplicity, Flanagan has given life to the hare so that it seems to be at the point of leaping into space. To energise static material, like bronze, into something so fluid, buoyant, and animated is what makes his work so special. Flanagan was interested in the idea of a common life force in nature, some shared impulse. So, when we humans see the bounding enthusiasm of this dancing hare astride a rugby ball we can, for a moment, identify with its feeling of exultation, and share it. Flanagans choice to incorporate a rugby ball is unusual, but not out of character. The quirky, amusing elements in his sculptures are among their most endearing qualities. Presumably a rugby enthusiast himself, he has managed to encapsulate the grace and physical energy of the player in full flight, as well as the unbridled euphoria of the fan.
Dr Frances Ruane HRHA
October 2023
RUGBY SCULPTURE, 2007
Cast bronze, 12" 6" 4 3/4", (30.5 15.2 12.1cm), Incised signature and number to basef-/20 ac 3/4/8. (ed. 3 of 4, prior to run of 8)
Provenance: Waddington Custot, Mayfair, London (April-May 2008), no.23
Literature: B. Dawson,Barry Flanagan Sculptures2001-2008, London, Waddington Galleries, 2008, no. 23, illus. p.65.
Born in Wales, Flanagan lived in London and, later, in Dublin, becoming an Irish citizen. In this country many people formed an affectionate attachment to his work when in 2006 ten of his famous hare sculptures were temporarily installed along Dublins OConnell Street. Hes well known all over the world for his large dancing hares, like the one at the entrance to IMMA. They all take on human qualities, celebrating the exuberance, eccentricity and fun in the human spirit. You might find one of his hares playing drums, jiving, or even playing cricket. Flanagans approach is playful and irreverent, seeming to mock the pompous pretentiousness that underpins much contemporary art. In doing so, his work appeals to a broad audience who are able to connectdirectlyvisually and emotionallywithout the need for overly intellectual theoretical jargon.
In 1980 Flanagan was invited to exhibit his rope drawings in ROSC. A precursor of what was to follow later, the ropes were abstract drawings in space. Visually, he has always thought in linear terms, in the same way, perhaps, that lines underpin the paintings of artists like Daumier or Toulouse Lautrec. In a Flanagan sculpture, the linear movement of a piece, rather than its volume, is the main conveyer of emotion. A superb draughtman, he shows the same spontaneous fluidity when modelling with pipe cleaners (eventually dipped in wax and then cast in bronze), as in his 2002Hare Theme C III.(lot 29).Abstract lines twist and turn, activating the empty space around the sculpture, with the shape of a bounding hare unexpectedly materialising in a surprising flash.
Looking atRugby Sculpture, one cant help being seduced by the liveliness of sinuous lines that form the hare. Its easy to imagine the artist spontaneously playing with clay as he twists, knots and bends it around a linear armature. With astonishing simplicity, Flanagan has given life to the hare so that it seems to be at the point of leaping into space. To energise static material, like bronze, into something so fluid, buoyant, and animated is what makes his work so special. Flanagan was interested in the idea of a common life force in nature, some shared impulse. So, when we humans see the bounding enthusiasm of this dancing hare astride a rugby ball we can, for a moment, identify with its feeling of exultation, and share it. Flanagans choice to incorporate a rugby ball is unusual, but not out of character. The quirky, amusing elements in his sculptures are among their most endearing qualities. Presumably a rugby enthusiast himself, he has managed to encapsulate the grace and physical energy of the player in full flight, as well as the unbridled euphoria of the fan.
Dr Frances Ruane HRHA
October 2023
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