Kenneth Armitage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kenneth Armitage
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William Kenneth Armitage
18 July 1916 Leeds, England
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| Died | 22 January 2002 (aged 85) London, England
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| Education | Leeds College of Art Slade School of Fine Art |
| Style | Bronze sculpture |
William Kenneth Armitage (born July 18, 1916 – died January 22, 2002) was a famous British sculptor. He was best known for his unique bronze sculptures that were a mix of real and abstract shapes.
Life and Achievements
Kenneth Armitage was born in Leeds, England, on July 18, 1916. He was the youngest of three children. He studied art at the Leeds College of Art and later at the Slade School of Fine Art in London.
In 1939, he joined the British Army and served in the Royal Artillery during World War II. After the war, in 1946, Armitage became the head of the sculpture department at the Bath Academy of Art.
He had his first solo art show in London in 1952. A year later, in 1953, he became the first artist to live and work at a university in Great Britain. This was at the University of Leeds, where he stayed until 1956.
In 1958, Armitage won a big award at the Venice Biennale. This is a very important international art exhibition. He won for being the best international sculptor under 45 years old.
He received a special award called the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1969. In 1994, he was chosen to be a member of the Royal Academy, a very respected group of artists in the UK.
One of his sculptures, "Both Arms," was put up in Millennium Square, Leeds in 2001. A special blue plaque was also placed there. This sculpture was revealed by Nelson Mandela, a famous leader from South Africa. Another sculpture, "Legs Walking," was placed in City Square, Leeds in 2018.
Kenneth Armitage passed away on January 22, 2002.
His Artworks
Armitage's special style of sculpture became clear by 1952. Most of his artworks look like people, but sometimes they are mixed with shapes of animals or even furniture. Many of his pieces also had a funny or quirky side to them.
He was also very interested in ancient Egyptian art and Cycladic art (art from ancient Greek islands). Because of this, his sculptures often had an old or "archaic" feel.
In 1964, Armitage was featured in a documentary film called "5 British Sculptors (Work and Talk)." As time went on, especially in the 1960s, he started to use new materials like plastic and spray paint in his art.
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People in the Wind (1950) Shown at Venice Biennale in 1952
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Sitting People (1952), Marl, Germany
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The Prophet (1961), Duisburg, Germany
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Monitor (1961), Otterlo The Netherlands
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Both Arms (2001) Leeds, UK
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Legs Walking 2001 (2001) Leeds, UK
Exhibitions
- 1960: Kenneth Armitage - Lynn Chadwick, Kestner-Gesellschaft, Hannover, Germany
- 1963: Kenneth Armitage - Galerie Charles Lienhard, Zurich, Switzerland
See also
In Spanish: Kenneth Armitage para niños
