The New York Times

By Ken Johnson | May 4, 2003

Lynn Chadwick's expressionistic, figurative works in welded iron and bronze earned him international acclaim. Mr. Chadwick came of age as an artist after World War II, when a mood of existential anxiety converged with traditions of humanistic representation and Modernist abstraction. In the 1950's he developed a spiky vocabulary of skeletal lines and rough planes organized into generalized images of people or animals that evoked feelings of pain, rage and fear.

In 1956, when he was 41 and just six years into his art career, he won first prize for sculpture at the Venice Biennale and, along with that award, international fame and enormous financial success. Lynn Russell Chadwick was born in London on Nov. 24, 1914. After studies at the Merchant Taylors' School, he worked as an architectural draftsman from 1933 to 1939. He served as a pilot during World War II, and then began designing furniture, textiles and architectural projects.

He also began building mobiles similar to those by Alexander Calder, whose work was at first unknown to him. This led to his first solo exhibition, at the Gimpel Fils Gallery in London in 1950. Mr. Chadwick soon eliminated the kinetic elements of his sculpture, but continued to use construction and assemblage methods rather than carving or modeling.

His first major success came in 1953, when he was among a dozen semifinalists for the Unknown Political Prisoner International Sculpture Competition, and received an honorable mention. In the 1960's Mr. Chadwick's work was partly eclipsed by increasingly abstract tendencies in modern sculpture, but he enjoyed a lucrative career into the 1980's.

His characteristic sculptures during this period were human figures cast in bronze. Clad in rough drapery with geometric, pyramidal heads, these works blended Surrealism, the angst of Alberto Giacometti and the monumentalism of Henry Moore.

 

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2019
Lynn Chadwick, The Georg Kolbe Museum, Berlin, DE 

2018
GIACOMETTI-CHADWICK: FACING FEAR, Museum de Fundatie, Zwolle, NL
Lynn Chadwick at Le Bristol, Le Bristol, Paris, FR 
Beasts, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich, UK 
Lynn Chadwick at Cliveden, The National Trust’s Cliveden, Buckinghamshire, UK

2017
Lynn Chadwick, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK 

2016
Lynn Chadwick, The Rotunda, One Exchange Square, Hong Kong, HK (organised by McNamara Art Projects)

2015
Conjunction: Lynn Chadwick and Geoffrey Clarke, Pangolin London, UK
Lynn Chadwick, Skulturenpark Wuppertal, DE
Lynn Chadwick -Draughtsman, Gallery Pangolin, Chalford, UK
Lynn Chadwick, Retrospective for Two Gardens, Bardini Gardens and Boboli Gardens, Florence, IT
Lynn Chadwick, Tremenheere Sculpture Garden, Penzance, UK

2014
The Maker’s Studio, Museum in the Park, Gloucestershire, UK
Lynn Chadwick a Centenary Exhibition, Osborne Samuel, London, UK
Lynn Chadwick, Blain|Southern, London, UK
Lynn Chadwick, Blain|Southern, Berlin, DE
Lynn Chadwick, Blain|Di Donna, New York, US
Lynn Chadwick RA, Royal Academy of Arts Courtyard, London, UK

2013
Lynn Chadwick. Evolution in Sculpture, Abbott Hall and Blackwell Arts and Crafts House, Cumbria, UK

2012
Lynn Chadwick. The Complete Candelabra 1959-1996, Willer, London, UK
Lynn Chadwick, Beaux Arts, London, UK

2011
Lynn Chadwick: The Couple 1954-1990, Pangolin London, London, UK
Lynn Chadwick (with David Farrell photographs), Osborne Samuel, London, UK
Lynn Chadwick. Sculpture from the Estate 1950s – 1990s, New Albion Gallery, Sydney, AU

2010
Lynn Chadwick, Beaux Arts, London, UK
Lynn Chadwick at Stowe, Stowe School, Buckingham, UK

2009
Out of the Shadows. Unseen Sculpture of the 1960’s, Pangolin London, UK; Gallery
Pangolin, Chalford, Gloucestershire, UK
Lynn Chadwick, Osborne Samuel, London, UK

2008
Lynn Chadwick (& Daniel Chadwick), Elaine Baker Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida, US
Chadwick, Beaux Arts, London, UK

 

2006

Beaux Arts, London, October-November (15 sculptures)

2004

Lynn & Sophie Chadwick, Trans-Art, Montpellier, Feb-April (no catalogue)

Dexia Banque Internationale, Parc Heintz et Galerie L’ind é pendence, Luxembourg (Gallery Pangolin, May-Oct (38 sculptures, 10 drawings, 1 lithograph)

Canary Wharf, London, (with Osborne Samuel Gallery) September-November (15 Sculptures) Celebrating Chadwick, The Museum in the Park, Stroud, Gloucestershire, October-January 2005 (14 sculptures)

2003

Tasende Gallery, La Jolla, California, January-February (13 sculptures, 7 drawings)
Kunsthandel Frans Jacobs, Amsterdam, Jan-Mar (8 sculptures, 2 drawings)
'Coming from the Dark', Gallery Pangolin, Chalford, Gloucestershire, May-June (28 sculptures, 6 lithographs)
Tate Britain, Duveen Galleries, London, September-March 2004 (30 sculptures)
Beaux Arts, London, October-November (28 sculptures)

2002

Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Palm Desert, California, March-April (34 sculptures)
Tasende Gallery, Los Angeles, California, November-December

2001

Elaine Baker Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida, February-March (33 sculptures)
Beaux Arts, London, May-June (24 sculptues)
JGM Galerie, Paris, June-July (no catalogue)

2000

Selection of Sculptures from Collection of Philip & Muriel Berman Museum of Art, Butler Institute of American Art, Youngetown, OH, March-June

Museum of Art, Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, June-Oct Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, Canada, June-July

1999

Beaux Arts, London, May-June

1998

The Edwin A.Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University, Wichita, January-April

1997

Philarmonic Centre for the Arts, Naples, Florida (in association with Freites-Revilla Gallery), February-March
Fondation Veranneman, Kruishoutem, Belgium, May-July
Galeria Freites, Caracas, June-July)
Freites Revilla Gallery, Coral Gables, Florida, June-July
Galleria Blu, Milan, November

1996

Gimpel Fils & Berkeley Square Gallery, London, March-May
Yeh Gallery, Seoul, Korea, May-June
Soho Square, Golden Square, Mount St Gardens, London, July-Oct

1995

The Minories, Colchester. July-September
Cleveland Gallery, Middlesborough, September-October

1994

Lillian Heidenberg Gallery, New York, April-May
Beaux Arts Bath, June-September

1993

Galeria Freites, Caracas, January-
Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum, May-July
Millfield School, Street, Summer
Court Gallery, Copenhagen, January-February
The Economist Plaza, London, September-January 1994

1992

Hong Kong Land Property Company, Rotunda Square, Hong Kong, Jan-Feb

Ann Jaffe Gallery, Bay Harbour Islands, Florida, January-February
Gallery Universe, Tokyo, February
Galeria Blu, Milan, April-May
Galerie Marbeau, Paris, Autumn

1991

Marlborough Gallery, New York, April (16 sculptures)
Berman Museum of Art, Ursinus College, PA, May-July
Galerie Am Lindenplatz, Liechtenstein, June-July
The Museum of Modern Art, Toyama, April-May and subsequently at:
-The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama, June-July
-The Hakone Open Air Museum, August-September
-The Museum of Kyoto, Kyoto, September-October
Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield, September-February
From Philip & Muriel Berman Museum of Art, State Museum, Harrisburg, PA
Galeire Nii, Osaka, October

1990

Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Sofia Imber, Caracas, November-February

Ann Jaffe Gallery, Bay Harbour Islands, Florida, February-March

1989

Marlborough Fine Art, London, November 1989-January
Galerie Aeblegaarden, Copenhagen, January-February
Beaux Arts, Bath, April 1989
Marlborough Gallery, London, November-January 1990

1988

Galerie Ninety-nine, Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, February
Goldman-Kraft Gallery, Chicago, April-June
Galeria Freites, Caracas, May
Waddington and Shiell, Toronto, Ontario, June-July
Galerie Nova-Spectra, The Hague, September-October

1987

Erika Meyerovich Gallery, San Francisco, Dec 1987-Feb 1988

1986

Gallery Nii, Osaka, Japan, March-April
Galerie Aeblegaarden, Copenhagen
British Embassy, sponsored by Christie's Contemporary Art, Sept
Beaux Arts, Bath, September-October
Galleria Blu, Milan, November
Dennis Hotz Fine Art, Johannesburg, November-December

1985

Harmony Hall, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, February
Galerie Ninety-nine, Bay Harbor Islands, FL (Dario Villalba), March
Marlborough Gallery, New York, December

1984

Theo Waddington, Montreal, Quebec, March-April
Marlborough Fine Art, London, October-December (24 sculptures)

1983

Mercury Gallery, Edinburgh, February-March (24 sculptures)
Gallery Ueda, Tokyo (with Victor Pasmore), April (12 sculptures)
Galerie Herbage, Cannes (no catalogue)
Artcurial, Paris, June-July (no catalogue)
Margaret Fisher, London, September (no catalogue)

1982

Christie's Contemporary Art, NY (with Victor Pasmore), November

Selected Public Collections

Australia

Art Gallery NSW, Sydney

Canada

Art Gallery of Hamilton, Ontario

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Quebec

Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto

Ontario College of Art, Toronto

Denmark

Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum, Aalbprg

Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Aarhus

Gentofte Kommune, Copenhagen

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humbleback

Randers Kunstmuseum, Randers

France

Musee National d’Arte Moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris

Musee Rodin, Paris

Le Parc du Chateau, Saint-Priest, Rhone

Germany

Wilhelm-Lehmbruck Museum der Stadt Duisbrug

Museum Folkwang, Essen

Museen der Stadt, Koln

Sprengel Museum, Hanover

Saarland-Museum, Saarbrucken

Stadtische Kunsthalle, Mannheim

Ireland

Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin

Israel

Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Tel Aviv Museum

The Jerusalem Foundation

Italy

Pinacoteca dell’Accademia di Bella Arti, Carrara

Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Rome

City of Spoleto

Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna, Spoleta

Museo Civico, Turin

Museo d’Arte Moderna, Venice

Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice

Collezione Tonelli

Jamaica

National Gallery of Jamaica, Kingston

Japan

Museum of Himeji

Ibaragi Museum of Art

Hakone Open-Air Museum, Kanagawa

Kiyose Keyaki Roadgallery III

Science Museum, Osaka

Tokushima Museum of Modern Art

Museum of Modern Art, Toyama

Museum of Modern Art, Uehara

Mexico

Museo Rufino Tamayo Arte Contemporaneo Internacional, Mexico DF

Monaco

Collection of the Principality of Monaco, Monte Carlo

The Netherlands

Rijksmuseum Kroller-Muller, Otterlo

Museum Boymans – van Beuningen, Rotterdam

Norway

Nasjonalgalleriet, Oslo

Peru

Instituto de Artes Contemporaneas, Lima

Portugal

The Berardo Collection, Lisbon

South Africa

South African National Gallery, Cape Town

Sweden

Goteborgs Konstmusem, Gothenburg

Moderne Museet, Stockholm

United Kingdom

City Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham

Bolton Museum and Art Gallery, Bolton

Bradford Art Galleries and Museum, Bradford

City of Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol

Cheltenham Museum and Art Gallery, Cheltenham

National Museum of Wales, Cardiff

Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh

City Museum and Art Gallery, Gloucester

Harlow Art Trust, Harlow

Royal Academy of Arts, London

Arts Council of Great Britain, London

Contemporary Art Society, London

British Council, London

Merchant Taylors’ School, London

Tate Gallery, London

Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Castle Museum, Nottingham

Pembroke College, Oxford

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield

USA

Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden, University of California, Los Angeles, CA

Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs, CA

Stanford University Museum of Art, Stanford, CA

Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT

Bruce Museum of Arts and Sciences, Greenwich, CT

Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

Ball State University Museum of Art, Muncie, IL

University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI

The Frederick Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI

City Art Museum of St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, NY

Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY

Nelson A. Rockefeller Collection, New York

Memorial Art Gallery, Museum of Art, Rochester, NY

Columbus Museum of Art Columbus, OH

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA

Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, PA

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC

Venezuela

Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Sofia Imber, Caracas