Description
An exceptional and very large hardwood sculpture by 20th Century London artist, Brian Willsher.
Standing over 80cm high, it’s sculpted from solid mahogany into this striking, modernist form.
Signed and dated 1981 on its base.
Height 82cm, approx weight 4.7kg
Very good vintage condition with minimal signs of age.
Free UK delivery included in the price, or please get in touch with any queries or to arrange a viewing in London SE24
*Brian Willsher (1930-2010) was a highly regarded 20th Century sculptor from South London, known for his method of using a bandsaw to create his works.
But In 1968, the UK Customs and Excise rejected his art and instead declared it ‘non-sculpture’ and ‘household decoration’, and slapped a 40% tax on his sales.
Artist Sir Henry Moore vehemently disagreed, and in defence of Willsher declared it “Pure sculpture, indeed… more than that, memorable sculpture!”
The ruling sparked a national debate and raised the question ‘What is art?’, fuelled in part by Willsher’s unorthodox methods, and compounded by his lack of formal training.
Although this decision was eventually reversed, the incident left him bankrupt, and a disillusioned Brian Willsher turned his back on the art market and didn’t exhibit again until the 1990s.
During this time he still created his sculptures from his home in Catford, South London, and for many years sold works (of varying quality) from stalls in Covent Garden and Hampstead.
But his art was always admired by those in the know, and along with that of his great East London contemporary, Ron Hitchins, has steadily increased in popularity since their deaths in the last decade.
