'The great bronze hares which Barry Flanagan has been producing since the 1980s are one of the most personal and recognisable artistic endeavours of the second half of this century. Spectacular in size, bitingly ironic and bold, as well as terribly individualistic, they are totally unlike what we normally see in museums and galleries around the world.' —Enrique JuncosaSince its first public appearance at the Venice Biennale in 1982, the hare has become a signature motif in Barry Flanagan’s oeuvre. Flanagan's hares are often engaged in human activities such as boxing, performing acrobatics or playing musical instruments. By incorporating human attributes into his animal world, the result is at once rich and expressive. In the present work, Hare with Ball displays a single hare expressing joy while balancing on a the round bulge. This whimsical gesture brilliantly engages the viewer in it’s movement although static at the same time. In material and production method, the work follows the trajectory of classical sculptural practice– the formal qualities of the bronze, the grandiose scale and meticulous draughtsmanship as well as the volumetric sensibility, are powerfully displayed in this work. Nonetheless, filled with a sense of energy, the elasticity of its limbs captured in a leap gives the hare an almost cartoonish character. Hare on Pyramid is a sculpture bursting with life; and through its dynamic portrayal of movement, the element of playfulness is immediately felt.
Jo Melvin, Director of the Barry Flanagan Estate and Jerry Hughes, Manager of AB Fine Art Foundry, discuss the work of Barry Flanagan.
