"Alchemy of the Theatre" examines Barry Flanagan’s working process with AB Fine Art Foundry in London. In the foundry, clay maquettes became bronzes with distinct character and stance – an essential step in his move from early process-based works to the animated animal figures for which he is renowned.
Our exhibition "Barry Flanagan: Two by Two" extends this lens. Presenting works from 1983–2008, it foregrounds his use of pairs – hares, dogs, elephants and horses – as conversational partners in space. Seen alongside the film, the show highlights how casting, patina and pose turn bronze into theatre, and how duality, play and rhythm underpin one of Britain’s most imaginative sculptural practices.
