05/08/25
Ten Sculptures by Tim Scott 1961-71 – book review
Tim Scott (b1937, London) is a British sculptor known for his abstract sculptures made from transparent acrylic and steel. He was the first of the group of sculptors who later became known as the “New Generation”. In this 80-page, full-colour monograph, writer and curator Sam Cornish focuses on 10 works made by Scott between 1961 and 1971 and brings to life and exemplifies what he describes in his eight-page introductory essay as the “precisely structured … joy of hedonism” inherent in Scott’s work. Although primarily discussing these 10 works, Cornish brings many more pieces to the conversation, most of which are also illustrated with good, clear images. Scott complained in his notebooks that, at the New Generation exhibition at the Whitechapel Art Gallery (1965), “No one, to my knowledge, has actually gone round that show and criticised the SCULPTURE ITSELF in an objective and constructive way.” He cannot grumble at Cornish, who here looks at each individual sculpture in an intimate and critical manner. While Scott’s work might appear theoretical and academic, and it was indeed rooted in intense discussions about the nature of sculpture, it can also be understood more simply, and it is possible to take as much or as little from this book as you wish – it is in depth, but written clearly in an accessible style.
Read my full review here