The purity of marble forms shapes that lean together whilst reaching upward. Thoroughly abstract, yet with hints of human figures in movement and in groups, Helaine Blumenfeld’s sculptures are deeply tender yet speak into the tensions of our often-divided lives and world.
The Together exhibition features Blumenfeld’s newest works which were conceived against the backdrop of our turbulent world. Whether tapering to wings, arms or heads, the fragility of her finely carved works explores the essence of vulnerability while their manifold responses to the changing light of day reveal the light of hope. The exhibition features 30 sculptures in marble, bronze and wood, presented in two adjacent venues, the gallery spaces at Gallery Eight and an open-air exhibition in the historic gardens of St James’s Square.
Across her 40-year career, Blumenfeld has often been inspired by exploring themes of interdependence and balance. This exhibition is no different but as well as exploring such themes in personal relationships, she is also speaking into the crisis and possibilities of our challenging times.
She says, “In my lifetime I have experienced extraordinary shifts on a personal and a societal level from fear, despair and isolation to dreams, hope and community. I believe we are going through a transformative period now. I feel this profoundly. My sculptures reflect this transition. We must find personal and tangible ways to pursue, grasp and make manifest our dream for a truly connected future together.”
Her most recent pieces such as ‘Beyond the Precipice: Together’ (2024) and ‘Together: Empathy’ (2022) refine and extend the ideas in ‘Exodus III’ (2020) and ‘Intimacy and Isolation: Empathy’ (2020). They seek to express, in visual form, Blumenfeld’s conviction that “in order to move from fear to hope we must embrace our dreams, search our inner light and recognize the pain and the beauty of one another.” She thinks that: “To move forward we must begin by recognising that to succeed we will need each other. Art can increase our sense of hope and togetherness. It wakes us up, unsettles us, evokes our emotions and extends our vision.”
As well as working with the pristine medium of marble, the exhibition also includes a range of work in other media including an exciting ‘Angel passing the torch’ in bronze and an imposing ‘Aurora’ carved in wood. While full of energy despite her age and a recent bereavement, her works and exhibitions are zeroing in on her core themes and messages while responses to developments within the wider world keep her work focused and fresh.
Blumenfeld has created more than 90 large-scale sculptures for private and public clients. Her public sculptures sympathetically connect a physical and conceptual space, creating centres of meaning within each community. Her most recent public commission, 2023’s ‘Hommage’ celebrates the 50th anniversary of education for women at Clare College, Cambridge. An expression of the continuing struggle for women’s rights, in ‘Hommage’ separate strands join together and rise through dissonance to a unified presentation of hope, aspiration and the possibility of continuous advancement. The maquette is included here, while nine imposing larger works form an open-air exhibit in nearby St James’s Square gardens.
Short of a retrospective, these two exhibitions provide the best opportunity to see a range of Blumenfeld’s work and be inspired by her vision for our world and our relationships.
Jonathan Evens
Helaine Blumenfeld OBE: Together, Gallery Eight, 8 Duke Street St James’s, London SW1Y 6BN. 16th April – 3rd May 2024.
Open Air exhibit, 16th April – 26th July 2024 (participating in London Art Week 2024). St James’s Square is open to the public 7.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri.
Photo: Installation View, Helaine Blumenfeld OBE: Together, Gallery Eight.
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