CWG Julian Wild 10pp LEAFLET 297x105mm v1_Layout 1 15/06/2015 15:14 Page 2

Stripping the Willow reflected the energy of Leighton’s masterpiece in Sculpture by Julian Wild his sculpture Indeterminate System 2011, although it was made strictly within the parameters that he ‘An active line on a walk, moving freely, devised for himself: the changing directional path without a goal.’ of a line. Indeterminate System , now in the Paul Klee, Pedagogical Sketchbook 1925 collection of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, is the earliest sculpture in our exhibition. It This much-quoted – and sometimes misquoted – laid the foundation for this new series of works statement by Paul Klee is clearly pertinent to Julian launched here in the Lobby of One Canada Square. Wild’s work. How much he considered Klee’s The Japanned hardwood, built up through applying thinking in terms of his own sculpture is debatable, layers of tinted varnish, has given a rich and but there is some relevance in that Wild’s forms lustrous finish to the surface of the sculpture. have been, in sculptural terms, characterised Japanning was a technique chosen especially by through his use of linear motifs since the time he Wild in reference to the numbers of Japanned began exhibiting. In his early sculptures the line items of furniture displayed in Leighton House. enclosed space like a net; or in other works the line ‘This piece’ he says, ‘references orientalism and the – maybe metal or plastic tubing – rambled around appropriation of the eastern aesthetics found in to catch its tail. In the context of Klee’s statement, the lavish interiors of Leighton House.’ these early pieces moved freely, but had a goal. In In 2012 Wild and his family moved to East Wild’s recent sculpture the line has moved in an Sussex where he and his wife, the painter Mary angular fashion, sometimes having a beginning and Grant, have studios near to their country home. an end, sometimes not. The line may be coloured While he also works in London, references to the monochrome or may change hue through its natural world have seeped further and length. However, in the objects made especially for meaningfully into his work. His titles not only speak this exhibition, the line is straight, having a beginning and an end, a top and a base, but more importantly the line has become his subject. It does not describe anything, although allusions are metaphorical. With reference to the title of the exhibition, Stripping the Willow , Wild’s subject matter 5 1 0

tells of splitting 2 e t t

the line. The e u q 5 1 exhibition has an a 0 M

2 d d exploratory e e p l e p i e nature, as these l P S ideas are still fresh, but the signs are that he could be finding a of plant species, but also of systems related to and there’ tangled journey back to another part of new and strong seam of inquiry. woodland management that he has observed and the frame. The title Rubus comes from the Latin for In 2013 Wild was given an exhibition at the absorbed. a large genus of plants in the rose family. Here Wild Leighton House Museum in Kensington as a result The series of sculptures that constitute the refers to the Rubus fruit or bramble and his of the work he made as the recipient of the Royal greater part of this exhibition are made in polished metaphor is clear. 5 1

Borough of Kensington and Chelsea/Chelsea Arts metals – bronze and stainless steel – some of which 0 Ilex 2014 made in welded and polished bronze, 2 w

Club Trust Studio Bursary 2009–12. The title of that have elements of their structure powder-coated in o together with its maquette of the same title and l l i

exhibition, Wrestling Pythons , paid tribute to Lord contrasting red. In Rubus 2014 the polished and W date, seem to bring to a close the zigzag course a

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Leighton’s sculpture Athlete Wrestling with a powder-coated stainless steel tells more about the line takes in the three-dimensional, sharply g n i

Python 1888–91, the marble version of which is in directions that four lines take as they emerge from p alternating and criss-crossing course that Wild has p i r the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. Wild the corner of a rectangular frame to take their ‘here t invented. When bronze bars or square-sectioned S CWG Julian Wild 10pp LEAFLET 297x105mm v1_Layout 1 15/06/2015 15:14 Page 7

tubing are welded together and are polished to a than separating. However, EVENT high degree of reflectivity, the material takes on a because of Julian Wild’s skill Tuesday 21 July from 6.30 to 7.15 pm soft, even malleable appearance, a characteristic of welding and polishing Curator Ann Elliott tours the exhibition Sculpture a t Work that is found in all of Wild’s recent polished works. metal, the sculpture could be In Split 2014 Wild reveals yet another way of interpreted variously. The with Julian Wild . The tour is free but looking at line, form, coloured and polished choice is ours. Peeled 2015 please contact Canary Wharf Public Art surfaces in what was to become a tightly focused has a similar form to that of Office at [email protected] to series of sculptures. The equally divided end of a Spliced , although it is reserve a place stainless steel tube appears to be slit and rolled positioned horizontally. In Photographs courtesy of the artist unless back. The direct simplicity of this small sculpture both sculptures the otherwise credited. reveals the strength of his overall concept. application of red tells more The sculpture Stripping the Willow 2015 of the nature of peeling or Some of the works are for sale provides the title of the exhibition and in the series revealing an inner layer that For a price list, please contact Canary Wharf Public of works that follow Wild explored the notion of becomes a new surface. Art Office as above, or William Benington Gallery the line splitting away from the parent structure. A distinct aspect of the at [email protected] Stripping of Willow or Withy, originally done by exhibition is the series of hand, but now often automated, is the process of maquettes that show ways in List of Works stripping the bark from a young and pliable stem which Wild has worked Dimensions in cm h ¥ w ¥ d of the plant, generally for basket making or if through the theme and Sculptures are unique if the number of the total edition is thicker, for the construction of woven fences. The variations of Stripping the not shown large scale of Stripping the Willow takes the Willow . All the maquettes are sculpture far from its notional source to be viewed made in wax and cast in Sculpture Maquettes in abstract terms and with consideration for the bronze, to which he has given Indeterminate System 2011 Ilex Maquette 2014 materiality of highly polished bronze. The a highly polished surface. The 4 1 Japanned hardwood Polished bronze 0

apparently cleaved portions of the structure reflect common material used in the 2

x 120 ¥ 230 ¥ 90 23 ¥ 12 ¥ 12 e l back and forth, endowing this direct and simple maquettes gives harmony to I Collection of the Royal Private collection structure with an unexpectedly complex surface. forms that are essentially Borough of Kensington and Unlike Stripping the Willow , Spliced 2015 is linked although each is of a different pitch. Julian Wild is a graduate of Kingston University Chelsea Peeled Maquette 2015 about lines converging or joining, building rather Ann Elliott June 2015 (1995). Working now as a sculptor, he had his first Polished bronze Rubus 2014 9 35 9 solo exhibition Bog Standard in 2003 at the Atrium ¥ ¥ Polished and powder- edition of 5 Gallery, Price Waterhouse Coopers. He has also coated stainless steel been in a number of group exhibitions, many of 80 ¥ 120 ¥ 70 Spliced Maquette No.1 which have shown his sculpture in the open air, 2015 most notable, Sculpture in the City 2014. He was Ilex 2014 Polished bronze

Polished bronze 35 ¥ 14 ¥ 7 n awarded the Royal Borough of Kensington and o i

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45 ¥ 100 ¥ 50 edition of 5 c Chelsea/Chelsea Arts Club Trust Studio Bursary u edition of 3 d o r P 2009–12, which provided him with a studio in Spliced Maquette No.2 &

t the Willow Chelsea. He has won a number of commissions for Split 2014 2015 n i r P organisations including Fidelity Investments; Cass Polished and powder- Polished bronze m

coated stainless steel 35 12 9 m Sculpture Foundation; Crest Nicholson; Wyeth ¥ ¥ a J Sculpture by 8 ¥ 30 ¥ 20 edition of 5 y b

Europa; Schroders Investment Management; d e t

Radley College, Oxford; Jerwood Sculpture Park n Stripping the Willow 2015 Slipped Maquette 2015 i r P

and Sculpture in the Parklands, Ireland. Julian Wild Polished bronze Polished bronze

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Wild works in a variety of materials, including 244 55 55 35 7 2 e ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ v r edition of 3 edition of 5 a H

polished and painted bronze and stainless steel, m i T

glass and ceramics, though which he explores the Spliced 2015 Stripping the Willow y b

relationship between colour and sculpture with d

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reference to sculpture of the 1960s. He is currently i

coated stainless steel Polished bronze s e undertaking a touring project, Making the 370 ¥ 120 ¥ 40 50 ¥ 13 ¥ 13 D Lobby, One Canada Square )

edition of 5 l Connection , which enables people to engage in i a

t Canary Wharf, London E14 5AB

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making a collaborative large-scale sculpture using d (

Polished and powder- Stripping the Willow 5 low-tech material; on each occasion the result is 1 0

coated stainless steel Maquette 2 2015 2 29 June – 15 August 2015

different although the material may be constant. w

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¥ ¥ l Julian Wild lives and works in London and East i 50 13 13 W ¥ ¥ Curated by Ann Elliott e h

Sussex. He is represented by William Benington edition of 5 t

g for Canary Wharf Group n Gallery, 20 Arlington Way, London EC1R 1UY. i p p

Stripping the Willow i r t Monday to Friday 5.30am-midnight S

Maquette 3 2015

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For more information visit e 0 Polished bronze v Saturday & Sunday 7a m-11 .30pm 2 o c s

www.julianwild.com t u 50 ¥ 9 ¥ 9 n b o u

www.williambeningtongallery.co.uk edition of 5 r canarywharf.com R f @yourcanarywharf