Jean Arp

This exhibition of 83 works by the renowned French artist Jean Arp spans 36 years of the artist’s career, from 1930 to 1966 when Arp died, aged 80. The works are in sculpture, relief and on paper.

Among the sculptures are Arp’s best known and loved works, including several of the flowing, bi-morphic torsos; semi abstract, meta-morphic shapes and the more precise, welded works of the Threshold series. Most of the materials used by Arp are represented, including the sumptuous, highly polished bronze; the subdued, patinaed bronze; the silvery French alloy ‘duraluminium’ and the exquisitely textured Cristallino marble, mined in Switzerland.

The reliefs include works in natural wood and colourful pavatex reliefs. Also in the exhibition is a rare set of nine watercolours painted over lithographed line drawings.

Jean Arp was one of the most articulate artists of this century; he was a profound writer and poet and an original and innovative visual artist. Arp took part in all contemporary movements concerned with either literary or visual expression. He was one of the founding fathers of Dada and also joined the Surrealist’s manifestations.

The major part of the collection in this exhibition was shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 1972, and part of the collection was presented at the Guggenheim Museum to mark the tenth anniversary of Arp’s death. The exhibition was organised by Madeleine Chalette Lejwa of Chalette International, New York; it is touring Australia under the auspices of the Visual Arts Board of Australia Council and the Australian Gallery Director’s Council.

Source
Exhibition press release