I ♥ Rob (Ryan)
Last weekend, we went for the first time, to The Yorkshire Sculpture Park. I’ve been wanting to go for awhile, lots of other people I know have been, and said it’s really good, but mainly I wanted to go because there’s been a Rob Ryan exhibition on that I wanted to see. It opened in November, and it closes on 21st Feb, so we got to see it just in time!
Henry Moore sculpture
If you have never been to The Yorkshire Sculpture Park before, it is situated at West Bretton, near Wakefield, and consists of a huge 500 acre area of landscaped grounds, which serve as an outdoor sculpture park, and 4 indoor galleries. If you visit, you really need a whole day to take everything in, as there’s lots of walking and exploring involved. Oh and try and go on a nice day! It was very cold on Saturday!
The park is home to sculptures by Henry Moore, Anthony Caro, Sophie Ryder, Barbara Hepworth and Barry Flanagan amongst others. We didn’t get to see all of them, there were too many, and we didn’t get there till lunch time. Of course it means we will have to go back another time! I liked the big hare sculptures by Sophie Ryder.
This rabbit figure, by Sophie Ryder, is in two halves, and sits outside the Camelia House.
Another Sophie Ryder sculpture, of a crawling lady hare
'Pink Lady dancing with Big Brown Dog', 2000, Sophie Ryder
Click here to view a photo of the sculpture being lowered into place, in 2008.
There is a beautiful Camelia House in the grounds. After wandering round inside for 10 minutes, and taking lots of photos, it was weird to come out and see a giant rabbit sat outside! Somehow I’d forgotton it was there!
Inside the Camelia house
Leaves
Some other scuptures I liked were the Dennis Oppenheim ‘Trees (From alternative landscape components)’ 2006, which has only been on show at the YSP since the end of January this year, and the Jonathan Borofsky ‘Molecule Man 1+1+1′, 1990.
Dennis Oppenheim 'Trees'
Jonathan Borofsky sculpture
The Rob Ryan exhibition is based in the YSP Visitor centre, and only runs until 21st Feb, so you’ll have to be quick if you want to see it. There are displays of Rob’s original papercuts and screenprints in the upstairs gallery space, and more of the same adorn the walkways and staircases.
Upper space
Going up into the starry night sky
Rob Ryan is an amazing papercut artist, based in London. The images he creates are rather romantic, charming and sentimental, and I love the way he blends both words and pictures together to create one beautiful piece. I loved being able to look at some of the original papercuts, they seem so fragile, and are so detailed, it’s quite unbelievable. He is a very clever man!
RR admiring an RR
The centrepiece of the exhibition is a series of eleven decals, which grace the large glass window panels of the main corridor through the visitor centre. Each one measures 4.5 by 1.9 metres.
'You can still do a lot with a small brain'
Window decals
In the YSP shop, I saw so many things I really wanted, but I bought just one, this splendid hard backed Rob Ryan book, which has been produced epspecially to accompany the exhibition. It’s full of lovely photos, and also includes some interviews, and pix of Rob at work in his studio. Oh, and I really want to go for a look round Ryantown, Rob’s shop on Columbia Road, East London. I’m so excited about the prospect of going, and I haven’t even got the faintest idea of when I’ll actually be able to get there!
My new book
You can view some of the pages inside the book on the Ryantown blog, including photographs of all the window decals.
Here is one of my favourite Rob Ryan pieces. It’s called ‘I can’t forget’, and is available to buy online as a limited edition screenprint, for £275, from St Jude’s Gallery in Norfolk. I would so love to own this, I really love the words.
'I can't forget' limited edition screenprint, by Rob Ryan, available from St Jude's Gallery
The YSP shop window has also been decorated by Rob Ryan. It’s full of lovely things, including suitcases and sewing machines, and it also features another welcoming papercut decal with lots of birds.
YSP shop window
'Come in out of the cold!'
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Glad you like them Louise! The window was really good, could have spent ages looking at it! x x
Thanks Janine for showing us these pic’c of Rob Ryan’s exhibition. I didn’t get chance to go so you’ve brought it to life for us – beautiful. The shop window looks especially attractive
x
I’ve been there..YSP i loved it! Went with college last year! We went in June and the weather was still quite damp! but I love all the sculptures..I wanted to see the rabbits but missed those