Tony Cragg New Sculptures

Focusing on his most recent bodies of work, this exhibition offers a view into the breadth of Tony Cragg’s latest formal developments, which are defined by the British artist’s continual investigation into the possibilities of a wide range of materials and his exploration of both the natural and the man-made worlds. ‘His work has the accumulated effect of subtly unsettling the certainties of such categories, whilst allowing us to think – through sculpture – about the complex material connectivities between […] culture and nature,’ writes art historian Jon Wood. Cragg’s abstract sculptures manifest entirely unprecedented forms that nevertheless spark a sense of recognition as they gesture to the world around us.

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The works on view range from detailed stainless steel sculptures from his recent series Incidents to softer, organic forms, such as his latest Integers, with each distinctive material informing the shape the finished sculpture takes. His polymorphic sculptures seem to emulate geographical layers of sediment when constructed from plywood.

Tony Cragg

Untitled, 2023

Corten steel
240 x 86 x 98 cm (94.49 x 33.86 x 38.58 in)

Tony Cragg

Untitled, 2023

Corten
110 x 48 x 72 cm (43.31 x 18.9 x 28.35 in)

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When cast in bronze, they appear more weighted, almost turned in on themselves, highlighting Cragg’s deep understanding of materiality and how it affects our perception of the work. ‘Every change in material form has a precise and immediate consequence for our thoughts, feelings and course of action and, with that, the future,’ states the artist.

Tony Cragg

Incident Solo, 2023

Stainless steel
245 x 69 x 104 cm (96.46 x 27.17 x 40.94 in)

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Highlighting the playful relationship between organic and geometric shapes, the streamlined Integers are juxtaposed with more intricate sculptures whose pulsating forms extend both inwards and outwards. The monumental work Karst (2020) evokes geological patterns of erosion. The artist has stated, ‘although it is the human figure which interests me most deeply, I have always paid great attention to natural forms.’ Inspired by karst landscapes, a topography shaped by the erosion of soluble rocks such as limestone, Cragg’s sculpture features intricate textures and fractures found in these natural formations.

 

Tony Cragg

Karst, 2020

Bronze, 500 kg
125 x 136 x 96 cm (49.21 x 53.54 x 37.8 in)

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This work shows two forms, relatively simple forms, stuck inside of each other. Suddenly, it becomes a whole world of integration, of things happening together and making borders with one another – that you can’t really imagine in your own mind. — Tony Cragg

Tony Cragg

Integers, 2022

Bronze, 380 kg
160 x 103 x 111 cm (62.99 x 40.55 x 43.7 in)

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Tony Cragg
Integers, 2023
Stone (verde guatemala), 72 kg
65 x 50 x 35 cm (25.59 x 19.69 x 13.78 in)

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Tony Cragg Integers, 2023 Stone (verde guatemala), 72 kg 65 x 50 x 35 cm (25.59 x 19.69 x 13.78 in)

Tony Cragg
Off the Mountain, 2023
Stone (nero portoro), 460 kg
90 x 65 x 69 cm (35.43 x 25.59 x 27.17 in)

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Tony Cragg Off the Mountain, 2023 Stone (nero portoro), 460 kg 90 x 65 x 69 cm (35.43 x 25.59 x 27.17 in)

By contrast, the rugged surface of the bronze sculpture Seam (2023), presented in the gallery’s outdoor space, appears to be made up of stratified forms that are pressed into each other, as the title suggests. Profiles and jawlines seem to emerge and recede from the undulating biomorphic mass, resolving from certain viewpoints, before dissolving back into abstraction.

Tony Cragg

Seam, 2023

Bronze, yellow, ca. 800 kg
230 x 139 x 131 cm (90.55 x 54.72 x 51.57 in)

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Through meticulous craftsmanship, Cragg’s sculptures captivate the viewer with their palpable energy and intriguing concepts of space. This exhibition highlights the many ways in which Cragg’s practice continues to answer anew what is possible in terms of form.

Tony Cragg

Integers, 2021

Wood, 140 kg
110 x 50 x 74 cm (43.31 x 19.69 x 29.13 in)

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The pulsating forms of these sculptures extend both inwards and outwards, featuring formations reminiscent of solidified drop-shaped dabs of foam or emulsion. Initially inspired by Cragg's work with molten glass, they are cast in bronze. Through its nuanced blend of rounded and tapered contours, the artist imparts the impression of malleability to this hard and heavy material.

Tony Cragg

Untitled, 2023

Bronze
100 x 53 x 82 cm (39.37 x 20.87 x 32.28 in)

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Learn more about the artist  

 

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