Menu
The New Contemporary Art Magazine

Philip Jackson’s Dramatic Sculptures Loom and Enchant

Scotland-born sculptor Philip Jackson has crafted faithful depictions of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mahatma Gandhi, and Sir Matt Busby and served as the Royal Sculptor to Queen Elizabeth II. Yet, Jackson’s also known for his modernist, dramatic gallery works, with characters that are less specific and in many cases, eerie and haunting. The quality present each of these works is Jackson’s seasoned knack for form and inspiring awe.


Scotland-born sculptor Philip Jackson has crafted faithful depictions of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mahatma Gandhi, and Sir Matt Busby and served as the Royal Sculptor to Queen Elizabeth II. Yet, Jackson’s also known for his modernist, dramatic gallery works, with characters that are less specific and in many cases, eerie and haunting. The quality present each of these works is Jackson’s seasoned knack for form and inspiring awe.




Whether it’s the contemplative figure of “Moonstruck” or “The Sentinels,” a brooding trio of nun-like beings that are chilling even when set against a daytime backdrop, several of Jackson’s figures absorb viewers in their size (often nearing 8 feet) and posture. The nun-like figures loom in broad daylight with elegance, cast in bronze and utilizing shadows in varying ways, depending on location. Flashes of gold, whether adorning the face or hands of the beings, add to their enigmatic nature. And at times, Jackson’s sculptures appear mid-scene, fixed in ongoing conversation or dutiful, shared reflection.


Jackson’s work has been exhibited all over the world, from ArtCatto in Portugal and The Portland Gallery in London to Casanova Gardens in Venice and the Naples Philharmonic Centre in Florida. The artist now creates his work and resides in West Sussex.




Meta
Share
Facebook
Reddit
Pinterest
Email
Related Articles
Sculptor Alex Chinneck has a string of major projects as part of Milan Design Week, including this massive intervention that the artist calls “the most ambitious work I’ve ever made.” His other work, whether "unzipping" a concrete floor or a factory wall, carry this motif. (Photography of his Milan Design Week work by Marc Wilmot.)
Russian-Canadian artist Ivan Alifan’s provocative figurative paintings are intended to inspire varying reactions from viewers. Yet, the artist says his portraits aren't supposed to "render physical characteristics but rather create a language of underlying sexual subtexts." His recent work has taken a decidedly more dessert-inspired approach, further exploring the ideas of pleasure and ecstasy.
It's magical ability to capture our imagination is as miraculous as the device itself. Elaborate wind-up machines called automata, or automatons, are mechanical marvels dating from a time as early as the 13th century. Tom Haney, the artist of these automata, has always been fascinated by mechanical movement. "The work I create today is a modern offshoot of the time-honored Old World tradition of automata," he says. Using carved wood and old objects as his main materials, his art brings new life into obsolete artifacts, literally.
Mark Ollinger, a Calgary-born artist, explores communication with his mindbending studies on the elements of language. In both his sculptures and paintings, the architecture of letters and and interlocking forms engross in several perspectives. In several of the artist’s public works, these pieces are hidden in corners, crevices, and underneath structures, as puzzles to be unlocked through urban exploration. These works can be found in places across the world.

Subscribe to the Hi-Fructose Mailing List