The Immortal Icon. An exhibition of sculpture by Deborah van der Beek

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1 The Immortal Icon An exhibition of sculpture by Deborah van der Beek

2 The Immortal Icon An exhibition of sculpture by Deborah van der Beek Saturday th October Sunday October Bruised and battered, yet undaunted in his self-belief, Don Quixote II sits astride the long-suffering nag Rocinante and readies himself for more battles ahead. His predicament speaks for Everyman. This Don Quixote is the embodiment of a theme that runs though Deborah van der Beek's work: the human as a hapless warrior tramping towards his inevitable end. The message of our mortality doesn t come as much of a surprise, in life or in art; but these sculptures never stoop down to death; they rise to its challenge. They are beguiling and beautiful, each with a tender, playful, black humour and an affinity with the underdog: Don Quixote on his aging horse, Ned Kelly in his homemade armour taking his last stand, an assorted string of riders pitting themselves against the fates. When cast in bronze even the most mundane or disturbing objects become precious. Rubber gloves, fruit and animals teeth, bird bones: organic and incongruous objects find their way into the cast as a result of Deborah s interest in both the cycle of life and death, and in unexpected, irreverent humour. But the sculptures also convey an anxiety about the downfall of men through war. In the piece Nice Gun a gun cast in bronze fires strawberries instead of bullets, as if to disarm the weapon and break the spell of war to which so many of the figures in her sculptures have succumbed. A roomful of these sculptures gives the impression of a sketchbook of drawings come to life, as if the paper couldn t hold them. Though figurative, van der Beek's distortions give them truth, spirit, and spontaneity. They are like vividly remembered objects, or things seen in motion from a distance. Together they form a ragged and striking procession of characters, immortal icons from our mythological heritage, brought up sharp by the sculptor s modern eye and wit. Every piece takes part in a brilliant life-force. Like the kouros statues of ancient Greece, Ned Kelly steps with his gun, left foot in front of right, towards death and the hereafter, and one feels that the rest of the beautiful, defiant entourage is poised to follow in his wake. Samantha Harvey, August Cover image: Don Quixote Height cms Bronze, edition of contemporary fine art Don Quixote (detail) Height cms Bronze, edition of

3 Left, and detail above: Such is Life (Ned Kelly as kouros) Height cms Bronze, edition of

4 Running Ned Height cms Bronze edition of Un Homme Qui Dort Height cms Bronze, edition of

5 Don Quixote Maquette Height cms Bronze, edition of

6 Sancho s Siesta Height cms Bronze, edition of

7 Don Quixote II Height cms Bronze, edition of

8 Deborah van der Beek Biography Born in London Central St Martin s, London Cambridge Polytechnic College Cardiff College of Art Worked as an illustrator and writer until and then becoming a full time sculptor. Solo Exhibitions The European Commission, Westminster, London Brewery Barn Gallery, Norton St Phillip, Bath Campden Gallery, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire Group Exhibitions Threadneedle Figurative Prize, Mall Galleries, London RBS Spectrum Show, Abbey Gardens, Malmesbury, Wiltshire Chichester Cathedral Rebecca Hossack, London Small is Beautiful, Flowers Central, Cork Street, London Autumn Exhibition, Gallery Pangolin, Chalford, Gloucestershire Jonathan Poole Gallery, Compton Cassey, Gloucestershire / / Bath Society of Arts Wine Street Gallery, Devizes, Wiltshire / / / Autumn Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy Twelve Artists on Common Ground, Cantax House, Lacock, Wiltshire Hot Bath Gallery, Bath Nice Gun Length (gun only) cms Bronze with gilded strawberries, edition of All photography by Steve Russell

9 Un Homme Qui Dort Height cms Bronze, edition of High Street Chipping Campden Gloucestershire GL AG Tel: Fax: Open Tues Sat. am. pm Sunday. am. pm