VIRTUAL EXHIBITION: PROCESS AND PROGRESS | RONALD POPE AT DERBY MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY
Process and Progress | Ronald Pope
Virtual Exhibition
DERBY MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY
The Strand, Derby, DE1 1BS
Process and Progress | Ronald Pope
Virtual Exhibition | Virtual Gallery
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of sculptor Ronald Pope, Derbyshireʼs ʻsecret artist.ʼ
Born in Gloucestershire in 1920, Pope moved to Derbyshire as a young child. He first trained as an engineer at Rolls-Royce between 1938 and 1945, leaving soon after to study sculpture at the Slade School of Fine Art. However, his growing aversion to commercialism and need for privacy led him back to Derbyshire in 1948 where he remained until his death in 1997.
Pope cited the local landscape as one of his most important sources of inspiration. Nevertheless, his approach to art was distinctly outward looking. His work can be compared with an international band of Modernist sculptors, including Constantin Brâncuși, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, and David Smith. Like them he looked to non- Western and ancient cultures, developing new and simplified forms of representation. Equally unconventional was his approach to materials: carving wood and stone directly and later constructing sculptures from welded metal. Above all Pope was fascinated with the theme of human unity, exploring its meaning through diverse subjects such as couples, families, crowds, and even natural landforms. The shape of the cross –a symbol of connection –recurred throughout his sculptures. In this, his art reflects some of the anxiety as well as the hopefulness of the post-war period in which he worked.
This exhibition charts Popeʼs achievements through a selection of his work, drawn mainly from the collection of Derby Museums along with items lovingly preserved by his family. These are accompanied by new photographs by David Edge, which reveal the hidden beauty of Popeʼs sculpture-making process.
To see more of Ronald Popeʼs works, please visit: ronaldpopesculptor.co.uk
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From 14 February 2020 to 10 May 2020.