An absolutely cracking Barbara Hepworth exhibition. Really good pieces from all parts of her career, plus some Ben Nicholson pieces and carvings by many of her contemporaries. Interesting to see some of the carvings by John Skeaping, her first husbend. There's a carving of two doves, and then Hepworth's carving of two doves which comes across as so much more ambitious, realised and beautiful. It's not a big piece but you can feel the ambition in it. In the carvings and all her pieces you can just feel her ideas being turned into form. The sculptures have a sense of weight to them and vibrate in your mind as thought and ideas.
There are also some great landscape drawings by her here, as shown below - they have a hint of Ben Nicholson but are also her own, with little heavy figures in the background. The show finishes with a sort of installation of her work that has been recreated - it's a clever way to make her feel contemporary. The installation is exciting with concrete walls juxtaposed with her work.
Robert Dunt, Founder of ArtTop10.com - www.robertdunt.com
