Barry Flanagan United Kingdom, 1941-2009
Left- and Right-Handed Nijinski on anvil point, 1999
Bronze
174 by 161.3 by 69.8 cm (68½ by 63½ by 27½ in.)
65968
© The Estate of Barry Flanagan/Bridgeman Art Library
Further images
Conceived and cast in bronze in 1999 in an edition of 8 plus 3 artist's proofs. The present work is number 3 from the edition. Left- and Right-Handed Nijinski on...
Conceived and cast in bronze in 1999 in an edition of 8 plus 3 artist's proofs. The present work is number 3 from the edition.
Left- and Right-Handed Nijinski on anvil point is a playful example of Barry Flanagan’s spirited approach to sculpture, in which he worked to synthesize everyday and fantastical elements into startling creations. Inspired by the Polish ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, the present work depicts a pair of anthropomorphic hares dancing, full of life, on the point of an anvil, a conspicuous reference to the sculptor’s practice. Flanagan explored several zoological subjects throughout his career—including dogs, elephants, and horses—but none represent the pinnacle of the artist’s creative trajectory as well as the hare, which has become synonymous with his oeuvre. In ancient Egypt, the hare was recognized as a symbol of life, while it is lauded in Chinese mythology as an incarnation of immortality. By endowing these animals with expressive features and human traits such as wit, Flanagan positioned the hare as a surrogate figure for the human experience in his body of work.
Left- and Right-Handed Nijinski on anvil point is a playful example of Barry Flanagan’s spirited approach to sculpture, in which he worked to synthesize everyday and fantastical elements into startling creations. Inspired by the Polish ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, the present work depicts a pair of anthropomorphic hares dancing, full of life, on the point of an anvil, a conspicuous reference to the sculptor’s practice. Flanagan explored several zoological subjects throughout his career—including dogs, elephants, and horses—but none represent the pinnacle of the artist’s creative trajectory as well as the hare, which has become synonymous with his oeuvre. In ancient Egypt, the hare was recognized as a symbol of life, while it is lauded in Chinese mythology as an incarnation of immortality. By endowing these animals with expressive features and human traits such as wit, Flanagan positioned the hare as a surrogate figure for the human experience in his body of work.
Provenance
Private Collection
Exhibitions
Brussels, Xavier Hufkens, Barry Flanagan, 1999
London, Waddington Galleries, Barry Flanagan: Seeing Round Corners, 2001 (another edition exhibited), no. 98, illustrated in color p. 96
Salzburg, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Barry Flanagan, 2002 (another edition exhibited)
New York, Paul Kasmin, Sculpture by Barry Flanagan, Robert Indiana, Andrew Lord, Santi Moix, Nancy Rubins, and Frank Stella, 2004
Dublin, Irish Museum of Modern Art in collaboration with Dublin City Gallery, The Hugh Lane, Barry Flanagan: Sculpture 1965-2005, 2006, illustrated in color p. 131