Olive Wootton - Myth & Legend

OLIVE WOOTTON Myth & Legend

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Catalogue ÂŁ10

OLIVE WOOTTON

Myth & Legend

Chris Wrigley

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OLIVE WOOTTON Olive Wootton, who has spoken of Rodin

Daphne in the process of metamorphosing

and Epstein as influences, has her own

into a laurel bush in order to evade being

special flair, whether it be in the way that she

raped by Apollo. Daphne, she has said, is

draws on mythology or literature for her

‘incredibly important to me’. After her

human sculptures or on acute observation

husband, Gordon Wootton, the painter, died

for her animal studies.

in 1984, she returned to sculpture, using

In this new exhibition she draws on a

local animals as her subject matter, but to

range of classical myths. She explains her use

express ideas she turned to mythology.

of mythology by commenting that she loves

The first piece she made was Daphne. This,

depicting the drama in the myths. In this

as she has observed, was about

exhibition she offers us some of the more

metamorphosis, and so expressed her own

unusual male figures. Hers are powerful

changing life. In the new exhibition there is

depictions of the minotaur of Greek

also the very beautiful statue of Persephone,

mythology, which features in some of the

the bringer of spring and summer, with birds

finest of Cretan art. Her minotaurs are every

and flowers.

inch virile and menacing figures. She has

Olive Wootton has also drawn on the

made five versions of the minotaur and may

commedia dell’arte for other outstanding

well do more, for it is a subject with which

sculptures of the human figure. Harlequin,

she really engages. She finds appealing ‘the

holding two classic drama masks, is for me

battle between his human and animal make

one of the finest pieces on display in this

up’. There is a sculpture of Pan playing his

exhibition. He was the first of the

pipes. The goatish Pan is another sexually

Masquerade figures. She has commented,

potent male. Icarus also appeals as he falls

‘I do feel very passionate about my work.

‘helplessly and completely out of control’;

I loved making Masquerade as the figures

she has created two versions.

Her women are also strong figures, but

almost made themselves, they knew how they had to be. For me the group has an

sometimes vulnerable ones. Diana hunting is

energy and a changing story. Who is the

a memorable image of a goddess in control

assassin after? What has happened between

of the world around her. In contrast, Olive

the Lion and the Unicorn?’ Her earlier

Wootton has sculpted the vulnerable

sculpture of Columbine is another

4 | OLIVE WOOTTON

sophisticated and most appealing figure,

great work. Her scrimshaw is on resin, not

drawn from the later development of

whale bone or walrus tusk. Scrimshaw is a

commedia dell’arte characters.

medium that matches the period of this

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ has inspired some of her

strongest of Romantic era myths.

She also has a remarkable feel for animals,

work, both in bronze sculptures and the less

wild and domestic. Her animal sculpture

usual art of scrimshaw. Her Ancient Mariner

goes beyond accuracy in depicting animals’

work was the subject of an earlier exhibition

tensions. This is so of her warthogs, which

at the Goldmark Gallery. Coleridge’s poem

seem to be assessing their safety and being

has been greatly admired for its profundity

ready to run in an instant if danger

on burdens of guilt and death since its

approaches. They stem from time she spent

publication in 1898. Just as Sir John Tenniel’s

in Kenya, as do her hippo and elephant

illustrations for Lewis Carroll’s two Alice

sculptures. Boris, her large Vietnamese pot-

books influence our images of Alice and

bellied pig, is a swaggering male chauvinist,

those she encounters underground, so

harbouring no doubts about his virility and

Gustave Dore’s illustrations (forty large and

attractiveness to the opposite sex. He was

three small) have affected our images of the

local, as was her Camborough sow, a very

Ancient Mariner.

Olive Wootton has provided us with fresh

contented looking animal. She loves greyhounds, and has one. She has depicted

images. She became interested in

the champion greyhound Westmead Hawk,

Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner when she

as well as the famous Ballyregan Bob. Her

submitted a design for a statue for Watchet’s

other animal work has included a working

harbour in Somerset. She was moved by the

springer spaniel.

spirituality and imagination of Coleridge’s

Olive Wootton has exhibited at the

poem, and felt that the mariner’s

Goldmark Gallery several times from 1993, as

thoughtless action in destroying the bird

well as at many other Midlands venues. She

resonated with today’s thoughtless

has exhibited frequently in London,

destruction of wildlife and the planet. She

including at the Royal Academy Summer

went on to produce both statues and

Exhibition, and throughout the UK and

scrimshaw in her response to Coleridge’s

Europe.

Chris Wrigley Emeritus Professor of History, Nottingham University

Myth & Legend | 5

1. Eros Resting bronze, ed 9, 2011 7.25 x 11 x 5.5 inches

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2. Metamorphosis of Daphne - Bust bronze, ed 6, 1990 27 x 24 x 23 inches

also available in resin bonded bronze

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3. Icarus I bronze, ed 9, 1999 14 x 14 x 14 inches

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4. Pan Festival resin bonded marble, ed 9, 2004 22 x 32 inches

Myth & Legend | 11

5. Dionysius, God of Wine resin bonded marble, ed 9, 2014 41 x 22 inches

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6. Helios and Selene II bronze, ed 9, 1995/8 23 x 22 x 22 inches

14 | OLIVE WOOTTON

7. Masquerade (seven ďŹ gures) bronze, ed 9, 2009 17 x 22.5 x 22.5 inches

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8. Persephone, Bringer of Spring bronze, ed 9, 2013 58 x 15 x 26 inches

also available in resin bonded bronze

9. Minotaur Bellowing bronze, ed 6, 2015 53.5 x 26.5 x 21.75 inches

10. Minotaur Bellowing (Maquette) bronze, ed 9, 1993 19 x 13 x 8.5 inches

20 | OLIVE WOOTTON

11. Selene, Goddess of the Moon aluminium, ed 9, 2005 47 x 18 x 27 inches

also available in resin bonded aluminium

22 | OLIVE WOOTTON

12. Tree Spirits (two ďŹ gures) bronze, ed 9, c2000 51 x 18 x 25 inches (each)

also available in resin bonded bronze

24 | OLIVE WOOTTON

13. The Green Man resin bonded iron, ed 9, 1997/9 12 x 12 inches

26 | OLIVE WOOTTON

14. Diana the Huntress bronze, ed 3, 2011 58 x 25 x 36 inches

28 | OLIVE WOOTTON

15. Minotaur Crouching bronze, ed 9, 1993 12.5 x 10 x 15 inches

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16. Icarus II bronze, ed 9, 1999 30 x 13 x 10 inches

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17. Pipes of Pan bronze, ed 9, 1998 50 x 23 x 22 inches

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18. The Sun Now Rose Upon the Right polished bronze, ed 6, 2008 10 x 7 x 11 inches

Myth & Legend | 35

In 1992 Olive Wootton was elected an Associate

1993

Wildlife Art, Yarrow Gallery, Oundle,

Member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and in

Northamptonshire

recent years has shown at the Royal Academy Summer

First All Sculpture Exhibition, Royal West of

Exhibitions. She lives and works at her studio in an

England Academy, Bristol

attractive area of rural Northamptonshire. Her work is

1994

held in numerous public and private collections.

150th Anniversary Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy, Bristol Winter Exhibition, Mason-Watts Gallery, Warwick

Solo Exhibitions 1985

Mixed Media, Northampton Art Gallery

1987

East of England, Peterborough, Cambs

1989

Recent Bronzes, Scaldwell, Northants Silks of St. James, London

Summer Exhibition. Chelsea Harbour, London Annual Exhibition, Town and County, Northamptonshire 1995

Islington, London

Greyhounds, Wimbledon Stadium, London

Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London

Olive Wootton, Mason-Watts Gallery, Warwick 1993

Winter Exhibition, Mason-Watts Gallery,

Exhibition, Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham,

Warwick

Rutland 1999 2008

Annual Exhibition, Town and County,

Shadows and Reflections, Goldmark Gallery, Uppingham, Rutland The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Goldmark

Brian Sinfield, at the Business Design Centre,

Northamptonshire 1996

Brian Sinfield, Compton Cassey Gallery Autumn Exhibition, Royal West of England

Gallery, Uppingham, Rutland

Academy, Bristol Annual Exhibition, Town and County,

Group Exhibitions

Northamptonshire

1988

Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London

Winter Exhibition, Alresford Gallery,

1989

Bath Arts Festival, Bath

Winchester

1990

Contemporary Arts, Caldwell Gallery, London

Winter Exhibition, Mason-Watts Gallery,

Country Living, Business Design Centre,

Leamington Spa

London

1997

Gallery Les Hirondelles, Geneva 1991

Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London

Northamptonshire 1998

Game Fair, Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire Wildlife Exhibition, Stuttgart, Germany 1992

Annual Exhibition, Town and County, Annual Exhibition, Town and County, Northamptonshire

2000

Royal West of England Academy, Bristol

Society of Woman Artists, Westminster Hall,

Royal Society of British Sculptors, London

London

Annual Exhibition, Town and County,

Nature in Art, St. Laurent, France

Northamptonshire

Selected Works, Battersea, London

2004-6

Artparks, Sausmarez Manor, Guernsey

Catalogue produced to accompany the exhibition held at Goldmark Gallery in April 2015 Text Š Chris Wrigley Photography Š Jay Goldmark Design Roger Porter ISBN 978-1-909167-22-3

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14 Orange Street, Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9SQ 01572 821424 goldmarkart.com

opposite:

19. Selene and Sleeping Endymion bronze, ed 9, 2014 22 x 20 inches

back cover:

20. Frog’s-Eye View bronze and mirror, ed 9, 1990 14 x 9 inches

She is the master of her medium Fred Cuming R.A.

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