The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture - David Madalla

It is fair to describe David Medalla's practice as varied and expansive. In his 70 year career, the work he has made includes painting, sculpture, participatory work, kinetic art, installation and performance. The different works presented in this exhibition are a good representation of his multidisciplinary approach.

For the exhibition at The Hepworth Gallery, Medalla exhibits one of his so called Auto Creative Sculptures, Cloud Canyons.

Cloud Canyons consists of a number of clear plastic pipes standing in a circular plinth. Foam is forced up and out of the tubes, and as the foam rises, it doubles back on itself and falls down the tubes and the cycle begins again. I find it mesmerizing; rather like watching flames in an open fire. The natural rhythm and movement of nature.



I find the work in the other room far less engaging. Medalla invites the audience to contribute to A Stitch In Time, another work from the sixties that Medalla is exhibiting at The Hepworth. Fabric is suspended in the gallery, and visitors are encouraged to sew any items they wish to onto the fabric. As is often the case with such participatory work, we are left viewing an accumulation of rubbish, used train tickets, shopping lists and chocolate bar wrappers. Surely we've moved beyond this kind of work.

David Medalla, Sand Machine, 1963/2015 from Venus Over Manhattan on Vimeo.


http://www.hepworthwakefield.org/about/hepworth-prize-for-sculpture/the-hepworth-prize-for-sculpture-shortlist-david-medalla/

https://www.a-n.co.uk/news/pictures-of-the-hepworth-prize-for-sculpture-exhibition

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/david-medalla-7213

The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture at The Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield

During my visit to Yorkshire this Christmas I was keen to check out the The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture at The Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield. The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture is the UK's first Prize for Sculpture. It is a new £30,000 biennial award that recognises a British or UK-based artist of any age, at any stage in their career, who has made a significant contribution to the development of contemporary sculpture.  It is an integral part of The Hepworth Gallery's 5th anniversary celebrations and named in honour of Barbara Hepworth.

The 2016 shortlisted artists are (in alphabetical order):

- Phyllida Barlow
- Steven Claydon
- Helen Marten

- David Medalla

Simon Wallis, Director of The Hepworth Wakefield and Chair of the Selecting Panel said: “We are delighted to have such a strong and diverse shortlist for our inaugural Prize and are looking forward to working with these artists and to inspire and engage our audiences with the medium of sculpture. It is particularly fitting that we launch the first Prize of its kind, here in the heart of the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle.”

He added: “While there is no shortage of prizes in the art world, few specifically recognise sculpture and it is our aspiration to redress that with the launch of one of the UK’s most important new awards. We have based the selection of the four shortlisted artists on the significance of their contribution to sculpture in its broadest definition.”

http://www.hepworthwakefield.org/news/the-hepworth-wakefield-announces-the-four-shortlisted-artists-and-judging-panel-for-the-uk-s-first-prize-for-sculpture/