F E McWilliam 1909-1992
Head, 1960
Bronze
20 x 15 x 16 in
51 x 38 x 40 cm
51 x 38 x 40 cm
Artist proof from the edition of 3
Copyright The Artist
Provenance
Private collection, UKLiterature
Roland Penrose, F.E. McWilliam, (London: Alec Tiranti Ltd, 1964) p. 75
McWilliams' work was not a stranger to violent or disturbing themes, influenced by experiences such as his time in the air force during the Second World War, and the troubles...
McWilliams' work was not a stranger to violent or disturbing themes, influenced by experiences such as his time in the air force during the Second World War, and the troubles in Ireland. In this case, the facial orifices of a brutally abstracted figure are suggested but then massively exaggerated to create a haunting gaping maul where eyes, mouth, and nose should be. The work is texturally complex, with McWilliams' use of moulding creating folds and pockets that appear as damaged skin, before being petrified in the bronze casting process. The artist's early interest in Surrealism is also evident here. These gaps appear almost like window panes, but windows into nothingness. McWilliam was particularly interested in how ‘missing’ elements of a sculpture affected the viewer, and used emptiness to his advantage as much as materiality to create evocative sculpture