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The Arts Intel Report

A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler
A Cultural Compass
For the World Traveler

Elisabeth Frink: Natural Connection

Elisabeth Frink, Standing Man, 1986.

Until Feb 23, 2025

“I thought I would make sculpture, if it was remotely possible, as grand as Michaelangelo did,” said the artist Elisabeth Frink (1930–1993) of her younger self. “Why not?” Frink was born in 1930, in Suffolk, England, and after a trip to Italy with her mother went straight to art school. She would later become one of the most venerated sculptors in England. Frink’s monumental human and animal forms—their unique sense of movement a testament to her masterful use of plaster and metal wire—grapple with themes that affect all living things: suffering and innocence, pain and joy. Visitors to this exhibition will be greeted by Atlas (1983), a towering bronze figure of a man holding the weight of the world above his head. Nestled throughout the park are 90 more sculptures by Frink. The artist’s screen prints will also be on display, offering insight into her creative process. Frink’s immense influence reached as far as the Crown. She was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1969, became a Dame in 1982, and was later awarded the Companion of Honour by Queen Elizabeth II, a title conferred for conspicuous national service. Frick died in 1993, at age 62. —Nyla Gilstrap

Photo: © Jonty Wilde/Yorkshire Sculpture Park