Nigel Hall - Sculpture and Works on Paper

Author:
Andrew Lambirth

Royal Academy Books, September 2008
- in English -

160 p., 28 x 23,2 cm
opulently coloured (more than 200 illustrations), hardback

ISBN-10: 1905711301 - ISBN-13: 978-1905711307 - € 35,00

 

 

 

" .. sculpture for me is like moving through space, space that's made visible by mark-making forms, open forms, and how those elements of open forms move against themselves as you move with the sculpture. It's that sort of relationship of form, space and the observer. .."
Nigel Hall, Sculpture and Works on Paper, page 38

Nigel Hall - an English artist and sculptor -
Nigel Hall may be still unknown to some continental friends of fine arts. So it is high time to introduce him here.
Following a Dutch Wikipedia contribution an English and a German article were published only in February (2010):

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Hall_(beeldhouwer)
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Hall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Hall_(sculptor)

Nigel Hall has exhibited all over the world and has been participating in Germany for many years at renowned projects. Some of the few examples: The documenta 6 (1977), Blickachsen 3, 4 and 5 in Bad Homburg. He has been exhibiting in the sculpture garden of the Kunsthalle Mannheim since 2001.The long list of Hall's exhibits, his presence in more than 100 international museums and public collections is quite impressive.
Nigel Hall was born in Bristol 1943. He studied at the West of England College of Art, Bristol (1960-64) and at the Royal Academy of Art, London (1964-70). After that he lived and travelled in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, later on in Japan, Korea and Switzerland. From 1971 to 1981 Nigel Hall was successively lecturer and external examining member of the Royal College of Art, London and Department of Sculpture at the Chelsea School of Art in London.
Three-dimensional structures follow the first, fairly linear sculptures in tubular form (from 1970). The sculptures become more distinctive, reduced. Their interaction with their shadow and their balance is significant. An exact placement in both the interior and also in the landscape is therefore essential.
Hall makes many sketches during his regular travels, a kind of "Sketch Diary". Gradually by overlapping individual sketches new forms constantly develop and they are implemented as sculptures. He himself produces them to enable the last "fine tuning".

His drawings, more than half of his oeuvre, are very important for Nigel Hall personally. Many of them are completely autonomous works. Therefore, he can legitimately be seen as a draughtsman. In 2003 Nigel Hall became a member of the Royal Academy of Arts.

The book:

Books that convey in such a vivid and subtle way what and how an artist experiences and what and how he expresses throughout the complete work, in his drawings and sculptures, are rarely found. This is achieved via an interview made between the British curator and art critic Andrew Lambirth and Nigel Hall. The book offers a comprehensive review of Hall's work, including a retrospective at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

Brief introductions to various thematic chapters are cunningly lead by Lambirth with targeted questions to Nigel Hall about descriptions of experiences, developments and self-set goals of his work. . These are vividly supplemented by interspersed photos of Hall's drawings and sculptures indoors and outdoors, in parks or in the countryside.
More than four decades which are described in the book, do not lead to a lengthy fatiguing list but to an interesting witnessing and understanding.

Appendix:
List of works, list of individual + group exhibitions, short biography, list of private and public collections, selected bibliography.


With excellent photos, a flowing reading text and very good layout, you get a thoroughly enjoyable book. - Not just a catalogue, but an all-round insight into Nigel Hall's life and creative way of working!


 zuzuku pages with some works by Nigel Hall
(CH) - Schönthal - (GB) - Yorkshire Sculpture Park
In
formation / photos: commons.wikimedia.org/
Exhibitions / Collections / Books:
www.royalacademy.org.uk/

Text: ehauff


        "At first Light", 2004


       "Soglio", 1994                              Photos: ehauff

The publication of the quotation and the indoor picture have the friendly permission by Nigel Hall