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Harlow's Hidden Hepworth Sculpture
Harlow's Hidden Hepworth Sculpture
Tucked away in the unassuming residential neighbourhood of Harlow, UK, stands a monumental sculpture by an enormous name in British art. Barbara Hepworth’s ‘Contrapuntal Forms’ (1950-51) arrived in Harlow after the 1951 Festival of Britain and has since become a beloved and intrinsic part of everyday life for the community. In this film, sculptor Irena Posner highlights how the work chimes with the utopian vision for Harlow New Town and represents an important milestone in the history of art for female sculptors.
Time Period:
20th century
Themes:
Irena Posner is a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in London. She received her MA Sculpture from Royal College of Art in 2022.
Working primarily in stone, Irena’s work is defined by her interest in the memory of stone and how the hand relates to material. Carving by hand is a process that opens a dialogue between object and body, bringing to light the ritualistic connections between stone and landscape. Her work looks for playfulness, accident, and humour to explore feminine subjectivities, ritual and immortality embodied in animal forms and situated bodies.
Irena was awarded the Harlow Sculpture Town Artist in Residence for 2023 and has undertaken residencies in Carrara and Weymouth. Her works are held in Odunpazari Modern Museum, Turkey and Fondazione Benetton, Italy.
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