The day will comprise of three lectures covering Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Elisabeth Frink and Antony Caro. Other British-based sculptors who influenced them, and a few that followed them, will also be mentioned. In equal measure, the day will feature different sculpting materials and techniques, triumphs at home and abroad, and a fair few tribulations. In some ways, British sculpture found its identity in the 20th century, and at the heart of this achievement were our four featured sculptors.

OVERVIEW OF THE SPECIAL INTEREST DAY: MODERN-ERA BRITISH

SCULPTURE

The three lectures of this Special Interest Day focus on four great British sculptors of the modern era: Moore, Hepworth, Caro and Frink. Between them they helped to establish Britain as an art powerhouse in the modern era. The lectures will tell their stories, and show examples of some of their most iconic, and some of their not-so-well-known sculptures and other work. There will be also be instances of controversy and clashes between three of them, that speak volumes of the highly competitive and charged world of art. But above all, the lectures will celebrate four lives well led, that have left us with bodies of work of unparalleled power, conviction and interest.

LECTURE ONE: LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS AND HENRY MOORE

This lecture begins by looking at how two foreign-born artists - Henri Gaudier Brzeska and Jacob Epstein - helped British-based sculptors who followed them to become modern. Leading the pack was Henry Moore. He was open to a wide range of influences, and in addition to Gaudier-Brzeska and Jacob Epstein, he drew on Michelangelo, Brâncuși, Cubism, Abstraction, Surrealism, and central and south American Aztec and Mayan cultures, in establishing his unique approach to sculpture from the 1920s. He often sculpted family groups and reclining figures, and was a great believer in taking art into public places. He was also at the centre of controversy. For example, the art establishment in the 1930s accused him of being too modern; while the New Yorks school in the 1940s accused him of not being modern enough. He also came under fire in the 1960s from the next generation of British-sculptors including Caro and Frink, who accused him of self-aggrandisement.

However, despite these criticisms, Moore continued to develop his sculptural work, and took time out to branch into other artistic endeavours. This lecture will cover all these angles of Moore’s life and work, and finish with an appreciation of his place in the modern British art world.

LECTURE TWO: BARBARA HEPWORTH AND HER JOURNEY TO PERFECT ABSTRACT LYRICISM

This lecture focuses on Barbara Hepworth, and her journey from Cubist-based figurative sculptures to perfect abstract lyricism, where her materials, shapes and contours can be admired in their own right. At the start of her career, she came under the same influences as Henry Moore, before finding her own identity. However, as her career developed, she was often overshadowed by the men in her life – John Skeaping her first husband, Ben Nicoloson her second husband, and Henry Moore her long-term friend. Yet she survived the comparisons and competition with a quiet determination and confidence, that was rooted in her talent and her appreciation of the coasts and landscapes of Yorkshire and Cornwall. As the mother of four children, she demonstrated how to combine family life with work life, and how to succeed at both. This lecture will cover the many different aspects of her life: from the moment she was told not to bother with carving in stone as that was man’s work, to her embrace of social and humanitarian causes.

LECTURE THREE: ANTHONY CARO AND ELISABETH FRINK … AND A BRIEF LOOK INTO THE FUTURE

When Anthony Caro studied sculpture in the 1940s, he was taught by traditional sculptors. Seeking to become modern he became Moore’s studio assistant for two years and made Moore-like sculptors. In 1959, Caro met with American abstract artists, and in consequence changed his approach, relying on sheets of steel to produce non-figurative sculptures. It was as if he was making 3D versions of American abstract paintings. He continued in this vein until the passing of Moore and, from the mid-1980s, turned back to figurative sculptures that addressed political and humanitarian ideals. Elisabeth Frink emerged at the same time as Caro, and yet – unlike him – her sculptures were always figurative, with many of her subjects being birds, horses and men. In particular, she saw men as both heroes and villains, and her sculptures of fallen (male) angels, Greek warriors and a Dying King reflected this point of view. In doing so she was heavily influenced by her wartime experiences andmemories. This lecture gives an overview of the life and work of Caro and Frink. It concludes by briefly looking at what the future might hold for British sculpture as new technologies – such as AI, 3D printing, and virtual reality - for the making, ownership and display of sculpture become available. Prepare to be surprised!

RAY WARBURTON OBE

Ray has been a guide at Tate Britain and Tate Modern since 2012. He was awarded an MA in the History of Art from the University of Buckingham in 2017. In the same year, he became an Arts Society Accredited Lecturer. He lectures on a wide range of subjects, that include British-based sculpture. At the heart of Ray’s lectures are a commitment to well-researched subjects, high-quality slides, and audience engagement. In fact, he talks to as many people as possible before, during and after lectures. Before getting into art as a major pre-occupation, Ray had a 40-year career in health and social care.

For a further details please contact Caroline Cobbing - courses.taspv@gmail.com 

SPECIAL INTEREST DAY
ON FASHION

Fashion in a Time of War explores the role fashion played in London and Paris during the second World War.

Names synonymous with elegance and style pre-war were to play significantly different roles during WWII, some better known than others. Coco Chanel took a German lover and was viewed as almost 'untouchable' until 1954, Hardy Amis became a British spy in Belgium and used the names of fashion accessories as code words to communicate with resistance groups, Lucien Lelong dressed the wives of the German high command during the occupation of Paris whilst working tirelessly to save the lives of thousands. British Vogue became an important part of the British propaganda effort whilst French Vogue ceased to be published. In this fascinating lecture the differing roles fashion played in the second World War will be explored, bringing a clarity to an industry that many considered frivolous in a time of war but in fact was hugely influential in the economic and artistic survival of France and Britain post war. 

During World War II, fashion was no longer just about style, it was about survival. With fabric rationed and resources scarce, the British government introduced the Utility Clothing Scheme and the CC41 label, ensuring garments were practical, affordable, and long-lasting. Gone were the frills and excess of pre-war fashion; instead, clothing was designed with strict guidelines to maximise efficiency and minimise waste.

Yet, even within these restrictions, fashion found a way to thrive. Two of Britain’s most celebrated couturiers, Hardy Amies and Norman Hartnell, were tasked with bringing style to austerity. Their designs, while simple, were elegant, well-cut, and laid the groundwork for what we now recognise as ready-to-wear fashion, standardised sizing, and mass production.

Meanwhile, across the Channel, Christian Dior had a very different vision. In 1947, he debuted the New Look, rejecting wartime restraint with full skirts, nipped in waists, and unapologetic luxury. The contrast between British practicality and French extravagance not only defined the post-war years but continues to shape how we dress today.

This lecture explores how wartime necessity led to lasting innovations in fashion, proving that creativity can flourish even in the face of restriction - and that style is never truly rationed. 

Throughout the history of Dior there is one fashion artist who above all others held carte blanche to illustrate, promote and define the essence of Christian Dior through a flowing striking brushstroke that was to become a trademark of Dior’s elegant philosophy. 

In this fascinating talk, discover the life and art of René Gruau (1909-2004) and why his imaginative and beautifully crafted art for Dior is considered amongst the most iconic fashion images of the 20th century and why a young man from Rimini, Italy and a frenchman from Normandy were so interlinked throughout their lives long before either found fame and fortune in their chosen careers.

Connie Gray 
Curator, Writer, Presenter and Lecturer

Biography: 

With a background in fashion and broadcasting, Connie Gray is the leading art specialist on 20th-century fashion illustration, with a special interest in the history of French haute couture. As a curator, writer, presenter and lecturer, she advises internationally on museum exhibitions and writes on the evolution of fashion illustration, haute couture’s influence on visual culture, and the legacies of key illustrators. She collaborates with institutions on acquisitions, conservation, and exhibitions, including Pioneers of Fashion (Lee Miller Archives), Crown to Couture (Kensington Palace, London), and 100 Years of Fashion Illustration (Society of Illustrators, New York) alongside presenting a series of Fashion Talksfor luxury clients in the UK and USA.

THURSDAY 
2nd OCTOBER 2025 
10.30am - 3.00pm

Pewsey Vale Rugby Club
Wilcot Road, Pewsey, Wiltshire, SN9 5NL

£40 - includes morning coffee and buffet lunch

For further details please contact 
Caroline Cobbing
courses.taspv@gmail.com
https://taspv.org.uk

image: Christian Dior Evening Gown Illustrated by René Gruau (1909 - 2004) for L'Officiel de la Mode 1948 © René Gruau

Explore 25 Iconic Works of Art, Trace the history of America through paintings, sculptures, land art and photography that exemplify vital moments

Marie-Anne Mancio artist, lecturer, study tour leader, curator, writer
Tuesday 25th February 2025 10.30 am - 3.00 pm

The Pewsey Vale Rugby Club, SN9 5NL

Cost £40 to include morning coffee and buffet lunch
Please note The Arts Society insurance only covers members for this day

To book – please fill in the form below or email the information to
Caroline Cobbing - courses.taspv@gmail.com.

Please pay by BACS - The Arts Society Pewsey Vale - Account No:
43922561 Sort code: 20-05-06, using your surname as reference.

For further details or to make a cash/cheque payment, please contact
Caroline Cobbing, courses.taspv@gmail.com

Lecture 1: New Territories [1776-1880s]

Looking at 8 key works, we will explore how a fine art tradition evolved
from Native American peoples, folk artists and sign painters to reflect the
Declaration of Independence.There was portraiture by C18th enslaved
African painter Prince Demah and the like to epic narrative paintings
like John Singleton Copley's Watson and the Shark, 1778. Then, as
explorers travelled westwards during and after the Gold Rush, how
landscape painters adapted European Romanticism in large-scale works
like Bierstadt's The Last of the Buffalo 1888 and how the American Civil
war and the battle for America was played out in art.

Lecture 2: Creating the USA [1890-1950]

Looking at 9 key works, we'll see how industrialisation, regionalism, the
Wall Street crash and Great Depression, the War, Red Scare and Cold
War brought challenges in the late nineteenth and early twentieth
century. From the gritty realism of the Ash Can School to the much
parodied Grant Wood's American Gothic 1930, or Dorothea Lange's
poignant Migrant Mother photograph, see how art captured a historic
moment. Hopper's lonely Night Hawks 1942 might have summed up
feelings of alienation in the big city, but Abstract Expressionism was
more than an avantgarde movement - it was promoted by the CIA as
part of its Cold War strategy.

Lecture 3: Stars and the Stripes [1960-now]

Looking at 8 key works, we'll discover how the huge societal changes
brought about by the Civil Rights movement, the Women's Movement
and so on saw an art world look beyond the gallery space and the frame.
Warhol reflected the horror of the Kennedy assassination in his Jackie
series; Jasper Johns dared to revisit the American Flag; Jeff Koons came
to epitomise 80s consumerism; Cindy Sherman reflected the legacy of a
TV watching generation, and artist Kara Walker recast American history
from an African American perspective.