
A couple of years ago now, I was asked to contribute an essay for a new online scholarly publication being put together by Tate Research entitled, Henry Moore: Sculptural Process and Public Identity. This project reassesses the life, career, and impact of one of the most important sculptors of the twentieth century–if one who also because of his success is often considered to be more “establishment” than “avant-garde.” As Jennifer Mundy states in her excellent opening essay to the project, “Henry Moore: The Sculptor as Public Figure,” “To a greater degree than perhaps any other British artist of the twentieth-century, the works of Henry Moore have been so enveloped in shifting, and at times contradictory, discourses about their meaning and historical significance, that fresh perspectives have often seemed elusive.”
My contribution, “Henry Moore’s Photographic Identity,” focuses on how Moore used photography to construct and maintain a public persona, one that intimately and inextricably connected him to his work. For me, one of the best parts of writing this essay–beyond the tremendous opportunity to publish for Tate and alongside such an amazing group of scholars–was that I got to visit the Henry Moore Foundation, where I was able to roam the beautiful grounds of the sculptor’s home and studio, and examine the extensive photographic archive that the Foundation maintains. So take a look, or rather a second look at Henry Moore!
Henry Moore: Sculptural Process and Public Identity
Tate Research Publication
ISBN 978-1-84976-391-2
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/henry-moore
Brava! As your have remarked earlier, the advent of digital photography, with its economy of production, ease of manipulation, and availability of internet distribution, lets many artists of today follow this pattern as they strive for visibility. I appreciate the way in your essay uses Moore as an example of what lies behind so much of the art world today.