Collections

A new display in the Small Sculpture Gallery, Leeds Art Gallery presents sculptures and drawings by Carl Plackman, from the 1970s and early 1980s, including several recent acquisitions to the collection which are shown here in Leeds for the first time. Plackman was amongst the most innovative of a generation of British artists in the 1960s and 70s who challenged conventional notions of sculpture. His finely balanced ensembles of everyday objects and materials, whether described in highly skilled drawings or constructed in the space of the gallery, set up enigmatic environments and propose uneasy, open-ended scenarios. As he described: 'In this world no object is neutral. In a sense they are embodiments of value systems which have been decided by others'.

Plackman showed in influential exhibitions, including British Sculptors at the Royal Academy of Arts (1972); British Sculpture in the Twentieth Century at the Whitechapel Art Gallery (1981) and The Sculpture Show at the Hayward and Serpentine Galleries (1983) and taught for many years in art schools across the country, including the Royal College of Art (1974 - 80) and Goldsmiths' College (1970 - 99). Many students who went on to become successful artists cite his influence, including Tony Cragg, Liam Gillick and also Damien Hirst, whose work is concurrently on display in an adjacent gallery.

The display runs until 13th May 2012. Plackman's work is also shown in United Enemies; The Problem of Sculpture in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s at the Henry Moore Institute until 12th March 2012.