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Elephant
1986
Barry Flanagan
Sculpture
196,2 x 188 x 105,4 cm
The sculpture Elephant derives its form from its method of creation: the vents and funnel used to cast the bronze shape the animal’s legs and trunk, while the soft contours of the figure seem cramped on its base. Flanagan subverts classical statuary with humor, questioning the foundations of sculpture: scale, tension, balance, and power. His animals, with anthropomorphic postures, embody dynamism and whimsy, inviting both laughter and a reconsideration of traditional sculpture.

Born in 1941 in Prestatyn, United Kingdom. Died in 2008 in Santa Eulària des Riu (Ibiza), Spain.
Barry Flanagan was a multidisciplinary Welsh artist, who graduated from the St Martin’s School of Art. Inspired by pataphysics, he blends the everyday, the imaginary, and the fantastic in his sculptures. Famous for his hares, he also explores other animal and human figures. His works, exhibited internationally, pay homage to sculpture, dance, and literature, often featuring unexpected associations and free virtuosity.
Artwork of
Barry Flanagan

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