Scarce presentation copy

Bowness, Alan [Ed.] ~ The Complete Sculpture Of Barbara Hepworth 1960-69 : Inscribed By Hepworth To Walter Strachan

Lund Humphries, London : 1971

The First UK Printing published by Lund Humphries, London in 1971. Square Folio; publisher's boards printed with artist's design embellished in gilt to upper cover; spine lettered in gilt; brown endpapers; together in the unclipped photographic wrapper ('£7' to front flap); numerous in-text illustrations in black and white, followed by a series of plates on glossy paper, in both black and white and full colour, reproducing 227 of Hepworth's artworks; The BOOK is in Very Good+ condition, with some spotting to the lower corner of boards, a little toned with some lightly pushing to the spine tips; The WRAPPER is in Very Good- condition; slightly toned, rubbed to edges, with a previous owner's penned neat inscription to the rear flap ( ??possibly Walter Strachan's hand) ; corner crease to front flap; some loss and peeling to the upper layers of the laminate, particularly to the upper edge and along spine; a very small damp stain at the extreme lower spine; a couple of short closed tears and one longer (6cm approx) to the front panel; discretely repaired internally with tape at head of spine and along tear. The wrapper is protected and presents well in a removable Brodart archival cover. This a presentation copy from Barbara Hepworth to her friend, the poet, translator and critic Walter Strachan, with a warm inscription to the title page in black ink: "For Walter Strachan , with love , Barbara - St. Ives." The artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975) was one of Britain's best loved artists. Residing for most of her life in St. Ives with her husband Ben Nicholson, she fought her way into the then male-dominated art world of the RCA, and is best remembered today for her modernist and abstract sculptures, with pieces commissioned for the Festival of Britain and numerous other public spaces worldwide. She maintained a close, and friendly rivalry with the artist Henry Moore for the majority of her life. Walter John Strachan (1903–1994) moved in many artistic circles, and wrote several pieces on art and sculpture, with a particular focus on French Art and the work of his good friend Henry Moore. Hepworth's work also appears in Strachan's 1984 publication 'Open Air Sculpture in Britain: a Comprehensive Guide'. The present publication showcases all of the artworks which Hepworth produced during a particularly prolific time in her career, between 1960 and 1970, with 227 works sculpted during that ten year period. It contains 247 black and white illustrations, and sixteen in colour, and opens with a series of fascinating conversations between Hepworth and the editor, Alan Bowness, reader in the History of Art at the Courtauld Institute. "when you're making a sculpture you're making an image, a fetish, something which alters human behaviour and movement", she says in one, "I dream of things rising from the ground..." A lovely association copy.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Very Good++
JACKET: Very Good-