IF you live in London you will have been
reminded all year that the two events which dominate this summer are the
Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and then in late July the Olympics.
There have been plenty of references to the Jubilee
in gallery shows and exhibitions, and themed stock at fairs but the art world
has not gone overboard for the Olympics, which is no bad thing since we hear
enough about them from every other source.
But one Olympics inspired exhibition well worth
catching is ‘Sophie Dickens Recent Sculpture’ showing at the contemporary
branch of leading London sculpture dealers The Sladmore Gallery in Mayfair’s
Bruton Place until June 9.
These new figural sculptures by the gifted
Sophie Dickens, who is the great great granddaughter of Charles Dickens (whose
bicentenary year this is), celebrate the grace and muscular energy of Olympians
with powerful male athletes leaping, running, cartwheeling, diving and tumbling
all around the gallery.
Her life-size figure of two judo combatants in
accurate mid-throw was approved by the Olympic Judo organizer.
The powerful male athletes are all naked, “in
deference to the original Olympians” she says.
A
compelling show.