“What can I say about Helaine? What can anyone say about Helaine? A force of Nature, an extraordinary artist, and a great contributor beyond her work itself.” Timothy Potts, Director of the J. Paul Getty Museum
Helaine Blumenfeld OBE is one of Britian’s leading contemporary artists, whose extensive work in marble and bronze has been exhibited in over 70 exhibitions worldwide. On Friday 19 June, her 8-ton marble sculpture Mysteries was installed on Berkeley Square. Carved by the artist at her studio in Pietrasanta, Italy – a renowned sculptural mecca dating back to Michelangelo — this is the first time Mysteries has been shown in London since its debut at Salisbury Cathedral in 2013.
Blumenfeld’s facility at positioning her sculpture in the magical zone between abstraction and figuration has been the key to her success. In 2011, she was awarded an honorary OBE in recognition of her outstanding contribution to art.
A passionate believer in the importance of art in public spaces and the difference it can make to peoples lives, Blumenfeld says of the sculpture “Some see an angel with its wings spread open, others as hands reaching out in hope wherein lies the mystery. But everyone recognises that this sculpture is about the positive power of beauty, of hope and of creation. I would like to see beautiful sculpture re-enter the lives of people, to take its place as part of a restoration of the human Spirit.”
Blumenfeld’s public commissions in London include the three-meter high monumental marble Tempesta at The Lancasters overlooking Hyde Park, London, which was installed in 2012. In 2014, her four-meter high monumental marble Spirit of Life was exhibited on Park Lane. From April-September 2013 Salisbury Cathedral hosted Messenger of the Spirit, an exhibition of 20 sculptures exhibited within the cathedral itself and monumental works throughout the grounds.
Mysteries will be displayed on Berkeley Square for the next 6 months. A talk on the sculpture will be part of the events taking place for Brown’s London Art Weekend 3-5th July.
The exhibition Helaine Blumenfeld / Henry Moore: A Dialogue 1985-2015 continues at Bowman Sculpture Gallery until the 30th June. See www.bowmansculpture.com for further details.
