Henry Moore
Tate Britain, until 8 August
Even some of the greatest artists go in and out of fashion, though market forces are grimly determined (in the short term) that this should not be so. Death often brings a lull in interest, or conversely a revival. An artist who has been overrated may be for a time forgotten, until someone starts the process of reassessment and perhaps a more balanced appraisal is reached. The reputation of Henry Moore (1898–1986) has had its ups and downs — he was first displaced from critical pre-eminence by his one-time assistants Anthony Caro and Phillip King and the revolution in abstract, coloured sculpture in the 1960s — but now his standing is deemed in need of revision. The current Tate exhibition is designed to show people that Henry Moore OM was not only one of Britain’s greatest artists, but also radical, avant-garde and yes — you guessed it — sexy.
The press release alludes to this new and challenging interpretation of Moore which will reveal ‘a dark and erotically charged dimension’ to his work.
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