Ann Christopher: An Introduction

I N T R O D U C T I O N

THE SIMULTANEOUS POWER AND GRACE of Ann Christopher’s work captivated me from the first time I saw one of her sculptures. The bold, unique purity of her sculptures nearly disguises the immense skill necessary to create them — yet it is precisely Christopher’s craftsmanship that allows this purity to be so palpable to the viewer. In their exploration of form and line, Christopher’ssculptures and works on paper construct perfect balance on the edges of space, challenginghow we ourselves occupy the space around these extraordinary works.

Rosenberg & Co. is very pleased to present Ann Christopher’s inaugural solo exhibition in New York. A renowned artist in the UK, Christopher is a member of the Royal Academy, a fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, and a leading figure in contemporary nonfigurative sculpture. Introducing the work of Ann Christopher to New York is both a great pleasure and of great importance: in its provocative timelessness, Christopher’s work grounds our present moment and expands notions of what contemporary can mean.

This exhibition could not have happened without the support of Pangolin London, the artist’srepresentative in the UK. In particular, our appreciation and gratitude go to Polly Bielecka,Pangolin’s director, for her unrelenting support and good humor.

We are honored to present this exceptional exhibition of Ann Christopher’s sculptures andworks on paper.

MARIANNE ROSENBERG

A N N C H R I S T O P H E R : An Introduction from Pangolin London

“Observe a work by Ann Christopher in a mixed exhibition, such as the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, and see how almost involuntarily passers by are brought to a halt by the works’ serious and magisterial presence.

Sophisticated choice of surface textures interrupted occasionally by a controlled vertical cut or fine edged aperture, Ann Christopher’s work continues to mature, to delight and to inspire.”

SIR HUGH CASSON PPRA

A BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPH of the glistening Citicorp Center soaring into the bright sky above Lexington Avenue is one of Ann Christopher’s treasured possessions. It was taken on Christopher’s first trip to Manhattan in 1983, so it is more than fitting that her first solo show in New York should be a mere few blocks from this iconic building — the form of which still resonates with many of the works seen at this elegant exhibition at Rosenberg & Co.

Ann Christopher was born in 1947 in Hertfordshire, England, and from an early age was fascinated with aeroplanes, fossils, metalworking, and her brother’s Meccano set. Aged 18, at a time when women were still considered anomalies in art school sculpture departments, Christopher made a firm decision to follow a path in sculpture. She has not deviated from or compromised this path since.

Her talent was spotted early on by the well-known British sculptor Elisabeth Frink, who became a lifelong friend. Christopher gained entry into the West of England College of Art in 1966 where she was taught by the highly regarded figurative sculptors Ralph Brown and Robert Clatworthy. However, figuration held none of the mysterious existence that Christopher found in abstraction, and she was instead drawn to principles established by artists such as Sir Anthony Caro in the 1960s: that sculpture could be considered a powerful, enigmatic monument or an abstract ‘presence’ without being directly descriptive.

Christopher’s indefatigably inquisitive eye explores and draws inspiration from a broad range of natural and man-made objects and textures created across the millennia. From the standing stones of Avebury and Stonehenge to ancient Cycladic Sculpture, from lichen on weathered stone to the sleek elegance of Concorde, the crisscrossing of telephone lines on an open horizon to an Eskimo seal knife — Christopher’s work is stimulated by the world around us. Like a bowerbird, she feathers her nest with objects she finds on her travels or documents her findings with her camera — often only recognizing the original inspiration for a work once her deeply instinctive making-process is complete.

Christopher’s in-depth knowledge of metal is unique, thanks in part to her long collaboration with her husband and bronze founder Ken Cook. It is rare to find an artist who so sensitively manipulates cold, hard metal — often laboriously working the surface after it has been cast— to create rich, organic textures that are irresistibly tactile. Frequently, she adds tension to these organic surfaces by using inorganic, precise machine-milled lines, neoprene bands, or lethallooking spikes which contribute to her work’s contemporary yet timeless presence. Christopher is also skilled at manipulating the contrast between light and shadow to add depth, intriguingly exploring absence alongside her work’s powerful existence.

Ann Christopher was the youngest female sculptor to be elected a member of the Royal Academy in 1980, and she continues to be a highly respected and pro-active member of this prestigious institution. She has completed numerous public commissions in both the UK and USA, and her work is held in many public collections including those of the British Museum, London; City of Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol; Contemporary Art Society, London; Corcoran Art Gallery, Washington, D.C.; and the Royal Academy. This solo exhibition in New York is long overdue, and we are delighted to have been able to assist in bringing it to fruition. It may be a first, but it is by no means a last: we look forward to watching Ann Christopher’s reputation grow in the inspirational city that inspired her.

POLLY BIELECKA PANGOLIN LONDON