Flanagan, Barry

Welsh sculptor Barry Flanagan became known for a variety of bronze sculptures and drawings based on a single motif – the hare. He has his hares jump over bells and other objects with their legs stretched out, performing acrobatic gymnastics, boxing, balancing, or drumming. His hares represent movement, freedom, and wit, deliberately undermining the dignity of classical monuments.

Many of the artist’s figures are reminiscent of sculptures from antiquity or the Renaissance. However, instead of heroes or gods there appear animals, as in Rodin’s “Thinker”, who is, sitting on a stone, replaced with a hare. And when he gets completely exuberant, his protagonist climbs skyscrapers or dances on the Empire State Building. But all these characters have one thing in common; they are instantly recognizable as artworks by Barry Flanagan.