Elisabeth Frink facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dame
Elisabeth Frink
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Dame Elisabeth Frink and John McKenna
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Elisabeth Jean Frink
14 November 1930 Great Thurlow, Suffolk, England
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| Died | 18 April 1993 (aged 62) Blandford Forum, Dorset, England
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| Alma mater | Guildford School of Art Chelsea School of Art |
| Known for | Sculpture |
Dame Elisabeth Jean Frink (born November 14, 1930 – died April 18, 1993) was a famous English artist. She was known for creating sculptures and prints. Her artwork often explored three main ideas: what it means to be human, the unique spirit of horses, and the idea of something divine or spiritual in people.
Contents
Early Life and Inspirations
Elisabeth Frink was born in November 1930 in a small village called Great Thurlow in Suffolk, England. Her parents were Ralph Cuyler Frink and Jean Elisabeth. Her father was a soldier who served in the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and was evacuated from Dunkirk during World War II. Elisabeth grew up in a Catholic family.
The Second World War started just before Elisabeth turned nine. This difficult time greatly influenced her early art. She grew up near a military airfield in Suffolk, where she often heard bombers flying overhead. Once, she even had to hide from a German fighter plane's attack. Her early drawings showed strong themes of struggle, like wounded birds and falling people. During the war, she moved with her mother and brother to Exmouth, Devon, where she attended school.
Becoming an Artist
Frink studied art at the Guildford School of Art from 1946 to 1949. She then continued her studies at the Chelsea School of Art from 1949 to 1953. She became part of a group of British sculptors after the war. This group was sometimes called the "Geometry of Fear" school. Other artists in this group included Reg Butler and Eduardo Paolozzi.
Elisabeth Frink's sculptures often featured men, birds, dogs, and horses. She also created religious art. However, she rarely sculpted female figures. One of her first successful pieces was Bird (1952), which showed a bird in an alert and powerful pose. She also created an eagle-shaped bookrest for the Coventry Cathedral and a special canopy for its Bishop's throne.
While she made many drawings and prints, Frink is most famous for her large bronze sculptures that were often placed outdoors. These sculptures have a unique, textured surface. She achieved this by adding plaster to a metal frame, then carving into it with tools. This method gave her sculptures a very distinct look.
Later Career and Famous Works
In the 1960s, Frink continued to be fascinated by the human form. She created a series of sculptures showing falling figures and winged men. From 1967 to 1970, she lived in France. During this time, she started making a series of large, powerful male heads, often called "goggled heads." Frink explained that she focused on male figures because she saw them as a mix of strength, feeling, and weakness.
The 1980s were a very successful time for Frink. In 1982, a company decided to create a complete list of all her artworks. The Royal Academy also planned a big exhibition of her work for 1985. Even though she was very busy with new projects, the exhibition was a huge success. It led to many more shows of her art.
Frink continued to create sculptures and accept new projects. She also served on art committees and met with art students. In 1979, she became a full member of the Royal Academy. There was even talk of her becoming the first female president of the academy, but she chose not to take the position.
Elisabeth Frink kept up her busy schedule of sculpting and exhibiting until early 1991. She had an operation for cancer, which forced her to take a break. However, she quickly returned to creating art and preparing for new exhibitions. Even after more surgery in September, she traveled to New Orleans and New York City for successful shows.
Despite her declining health, Frink worked on a huge statue called Risen Christ for Liverpool Cathedral. This sculpture was her last major work. Just one week after it was installed, Elisabeth Frink passed away from cancer on April 18, 1993, at the age of 62. Many people felt that this final sculpture was a perfect tribute to her amazing talent and spirit.
Exhibitions and Recognition
Elisabeth Frink's first solo art show was in London in 1955. She later joined the Waddington Galleries in London and had many shows there between 1959 and 1972. In the 1960s, her work was also shown at the Bertha Schaefer Gallery in New York City. In 1971, she first exhibited at the Royal Academy in London and became an Associate of the Royal Academy that same year. Her major retrospective exhibition at the Royal Academy of Art in London in 1985 was a highlight of her career.
Personal Life
Elisabeth Frink was married three times. Her first marriage was to Michel Jammet in 1955, and they had a son in 1958. This marriage ended in 1963. From 1964 to 1974, she was married to Edward Pool. Her third husband was Alexander Csaky, whom she married in 1974. He passed away just a few months before her. Dame Elisabeth Frink died from cancer in 1993.
Important Sculptures
Some of Frink's famous sculptures, like Warhorse and Walking Madonna, can be seen in the garden at Chatsworth House. Other works are at the Jerwood Sculpture Park at Ragley Hall. Her sculpture Desert Quartet (1990) is special because it was given a high protection status in England very soon after it was created. You can see it in Worthing.
The Frink School of Figurative Sculpture
Before she passed away, Elisabeth Frink taught master classes at the Sir Henry Doulton School of Sculpture. In 1990, she met Harry Everington there. They shared similar ideas about art, which led to the creation of the Frink School of Figurative Sculpture. This school opened in 1996 and focused on teaching traditional sculptural forms. It aimed to balance the growing trend of conceptual art in sculpture schools in the UK. The Frink Estate gave permission for the school to be named after her, as it continued the artistic traditions she believed in.
Studio Reconstruction
In 2019, Elisabeth Frink's art studio from Woolland in Dorset was rebuilt. It was set up in a historic barn at Place Farm, Tisbury in Wiltshire. This reconstruction was part of an exhibition in 2020. It displayed some of her original plaster models, tools, and other items from her actual studio, giving visitors a glimpse into her creative space.
See also
- Bust of Sir Georg Solti, Chicago
Biography and Sources
- Stephen Gardiner, 1998, Elisabeth Frink: The Official Biography. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN: 0-00-255606-5
- Elisabeth Frink: catalogue raisonné. Sculpture to 1984. Foreword by Peter Shaffer. Introduction and Dialogue by Bryan Robertson. Published by Harpvale Books. ISBN: 0-946425-05-1
- Edward Lucie-Smith. Elisabeth Frink: catalogue raisonné. Sculpture since 1984 & Drawings. Published by Art Books International. ISBN: 1-874044-04-X
- Caroline Wiseman. Elisabeth Frink: original prints catalogue raisonné. Published by Art Books International. ISBN: 1-874044-25-2
- Art is Why I Get Up in the Morning: Unseen and Rare Pieces by Elisabeth Frink and work by four contemporary British artists who continue today in the figurative expressionist tradition. Published by Mumford Fine Art
