Making It: Sculpture in Britain 1977-1986

In the purpose-built Longside Gallery at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the Arts Council Collection has brought together the work of 40 artists from between 1977-1986, a period that saw the emergence of a new young generation of British sculptors 

Studio International spoke to co-curator, Jon Wood, from the Henry Moore Institute, and Jill Constantine, head of the Arts Council Collection, about how the exhibition came about and what its main themes are.

Following on from exhibitions of the work of Garth Evans (2013, curated by Richard Deacon) and Uncommon Ground: Land Art in Britain 1966-79 (2014), which between them covered the period from 1959-1982, where sculptural practice was very much ephemeral, conceptual, or based on performance, this current exhibition looks at the early 80s, a time when sculptural practice in the UK went back into the workshops to experiment with a completely new approach of assembling.

With half the exhibits drawn from the Arts Council Collection’s own rich holdings, and with women artists featuring prominently, this exhibition celebrates the treasury of British sculpture from the years leading up to the death of Henry Moore (himself not included, but with a parallel exhibition of his work, Back to a Land, on show in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s Underground Gallery and open air).

A number of artists rose to prominence during this period, but there has been a lack of publications and survey exhibitions – until now. The exhibition is complemented by an excellent publication featuring insightful essays by 12 critics, writers, gallerists and curators.

Making It: Sculpture in Britain 1977-1986
A Touring Exhibition from the Arts Council Collection
Longside Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park
1 April – 21 June 2015

Interview by ANNA McNAY
Filmed by MARTIN KENNEDY