The works of world-renowned Russian sculptor and theorist, Naum Gabo will be celebrated at the Tate St Ives in the first ever extensive retrospective of the artist to exist within the UK in over 30 years. Commemorating the centenary of his 1920 theoretical text, Realistic Manifesto, the exhibition will enable visitors to explore the works of the pioneering artist and the way in which he transformed the world of modern art.
Tate Galleries: Virtual Offerings & What to Look Forward to
From his 1930 work Two Cubes, created using the Stereometric Method, to Monument for an Airport (1932–48) and Construction: Stone with a Collar (1933), visitors will discover what made Gabo such a pioneering artist; his experimental use of metaphysical structures, plastic, stage design, painting and prints.
In a union of drawings, paintings, sculptures and architectural designs produced by the late constructivist throughout his lifetime, guests will be given a glimpse into the artistic life of Gabo and his theories surrounding modern art, those particularly set out in the Realistic Manifesto. Visitors will also gain insight into the transparency of his sculptures, considering the central themes which underscore his works.
A rare opportunity to see the trailblazing artists’s works almost in their entirety, a multitude of Gabo’s predominant works, such as Kinetic Sculpture (Waves) (1919-1920) – renowned as the first ever kinetic artwork – will also be showcased alongside a number of lesser known pieces.
Throughout his life, Gabo worked with an impressive array of forward-thinking artists, from Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky to French sculptor Antoine Pevsner and German multidisciplinary Hans Richter, furthering the widespread of modernist concepts. The revolutionary artist endeavoured to make art a more pivotal part of society, and believed modern theatre, film, architecture and art could aid the construction of a new-fashioned society.
Visit tate.org.uk or call 0151 702 7400 for more information.
27 July – 27 September 2020
Tate St Ives, Porthmeor Beach, St Ives, Cornwall, TR26 1TG
Visit tate.org.uk to book. Free entry for members.
