Lynn Chadwick

LYNN CHADWICK (London, 1914- 203).
"G18", 1971.
Bronze. Exemplar 4/6.
Signed, dated and justified.

Provenance Diaz Mancini Gallery, Caracas.
Measurements: 55 x 17 x 16 cm.
"The important thing in my figures is always the attitude, what the figures express through their actual posture". (The artist, in Barrie Gavin Interviews, HTV West, 1991) Observers and strangers were themes to which Lynn Chadwick returned again and again throughout her career. The figure, reduced to a block standing on small legs, are probably a semi-autobiographical creation, a reference to the lone sentries Chadwick would have been familiar with during World War II, when he served in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. This work specifically reflects his interest in creating abstract yet expressive figures, often characterized by angular forms and a sense of dynamic movement. Despite the harshness of his materials, it evokes a sense of existentialism and human vulnerability, reflecting the anxieties and complexities of the post-war period. The angular forms and abstracted human figures contribute to the larger discourse on the nature of the human condition, making it a poignant reflection of the cultural and social concerns of the time.
Chadwick studied at Merchant Taylors' School in Northwood. There he expressed an interest in becoming an artist, although his art teacher suggested that architecture was a more realistic option. Consequently, Chadwick became an apprentice draftsman, working first in the offices of architects Donald Hamilton and Eugen Carl Kauffman, and eventually for Rodney Thomas. Chadwick was greatly inspired by Thomas, whose interest in contemporary European architecture and design greatly influenced his development. His training in architectural drawing was the only formal education he received as an artist.
In April 1941, having been a conscientious objector,Chadwick volunteered for the Fleet Air Arm, and between 1941 and 1944 served as a pilot during World War II. In March 1946 he won a £50 prize in a textile design competition, which earned him a contract to make further designs for Zika and Lida Ascher.Around the same time, Chadwick was commissioned to make exhibition stands for the Aluminium Development Corporation. Chadwick left London in 1947 and settled in the village of Upper Coberley, near Cheltenham. There he converted outbuildings into a studio where he worked on his designs and early sculptures. In August 1949, one of Chadwick's small mobiles was placed in the window of Gimpel Fils, which promoted modern British art. The following year, he held his first solo exhibition there, which earned him critical attention and several major commissions.