Description
Willsher or not Willsher? That is the question…
I’ve handled a lot of the artist’s work and I like to think I can spot a Brian Willsher sculpture from 40 yards, but this one’s got me stumped…
He did produce many unsigned works, and some were indeed left unlacquered in their raw wood state, but have you ever seen one so precisely cut?
The business of intricately crafting hardwood with a 20th century bandsaw is a tricky one, and although Willsher was a master at this, his tool of choice inevitably left its mark… its signature.
The organised wonkiness is a hallmark of his work and is apparent here (see pic 3), but why is the carving so sharp, and how is the sculpture so clean?
It looks like it could have been made yesterday, or perhaps sitting in a suitcase in someone’s attic for the past 50 years…
I’ve approached several Willsher collectors about this piece (and even another talented bandsaw artist) but none of us can definitively say if this is his work or not.
But whoever else would have, and indeed could have made such a thing, is beyond me.
Sadly we may never know for sure, but this is either the finest, cleanest Brian Willsher I’ve ever owned, or an incredible replica, the ultimate conversation piece, and a damn fine sculpture in its own right.
H41.5cm x W14cm x D15cm
Fully insured UK delivery included in the price, or please get in touch for an international shipping quote.
Viewings welcome 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.
He enjoyed a string of successful exhibitions in the 1960s, as well as five consecutive Royal Academy of Arts Summer shows.
His work was admired by, among others, artist Henry Moore, and a 2021 exhibition of Willsher’s work in central London has further added to his prestige.
