• From 15 November, Saatchi Gallery will showcase the work of female sculptors across an entire floor.
• Consisting of more than 30 original works, the exhibition will feature pieces by renowned artists including Kaur, Katrina Cowling, Phyllida Barlow, Helen Chadwick, Kim Lim and Cornelia Parker.
• lf Not Now, When? Generations of Women in Sculpture in Britain, 1950-2022 is organised by The Hepworth, Wakefield in collaboration with Saatchi Gallery, London.

LONDON, UK – As part of its Season of Sculpture, Saatchi Gallery announces an upcoming co-headline Winter ehibition, If Not Now, When? The exhibition will feature 28 remarkable female sculptors, celebrating their contributions to the world of art from the 1960s to now.

This exhibition is the outcome of a two-year research project, Hepworth’s Progeny, guided by an Advisory Board of Griselda Pollock, Lorna Green, The Hepworth Wakefield’s curator Eleanor Clayton, sculptors Sokari Douglas Camp and Jill McKnight, and independent art Historian Dr. Alice Correia. The exhibition was co-curated by Dr Anna Douglas and Dr Kerry Harker. The project revisited research into women artists working in the expanding field of sculpture undertaken in the late 1980s by Green in her M.Phil thesis, The Position and Attitudes of Contemporary Women Sculptors in Britain 1987-89 at The University of Leeds. 

The exhibition showcases renowned sculptors like Permindar Kaur, Katrina Cowling, Phyllida Barlow, Helen Chadwick, Kim Lim and Cornelia Parker, promoting diverse artistic interactions and practices. If Not Now, When? not only underscores sculptors’ resilience in male-dominated spheres but also celebrates women’s narratives and creativity.

Among the captivating works on display, will be Chadwick’s early masterpiece “In the Kitchen” from 1977, crafted during her MA studies, and Parker’s thought-provoking “Endless Coffee” from 2022. The exhibition will also feature works by artists who were frequently exhibited in the 1980s but whose art is now less commonly seen, highlighting the unique challenges many women artists face in their careers.

Divided into three chapters, the exhibition explores time as an everyday lived experience marked by the evolving cycles directly affecting women.

The first chapter, Women’s Time celebrates the unique feminine value as life givers, preservers, and carers of others. This chapter additionally encourages unrestricted conversations, highlighting real-world tensions and the idealisation of social roles inhabited by women.

Chapter two, Tumbling Through Time is preoccupied with the materiality and immediate urgency of issues such as climate change and the growing sense that time is of the essence. This chapter includes sculptures made from various recycled materials, including gilded fruit, neon, fabricated metal, and piano wire.

The final chapter, The Time is Now, addresses distinct moments in history and by bringing the works together into one space will present visitors with the reality of reoccurring injustices and discrimination that have been addressed by each artist as they created their work. Ultimately, however, the overarching theme is hope, created through the representation and visibility of artists critiquing cultural expectations of femininity and celebrating the gendered experience through their own unique views.

EXHIBITING ARTISTS

Phyllida Barlow, Glenys Barton, Shirley Cameron, Annie Cattrell, Helen Chadwick, Lorraine Clarke, Katrina Cowling, Deborah Duffin, Carol Farrow, Sheila Gaffney, Rose Garrard, Lorna Green, Mandy Havers, Bridget Heriz, Michele Howarth, Permindar Kaur, Rosie Leventon, Lilane Lijn, Kim Lim, Renate Meyer, Cornelia Parker, Christine Kowal Post, Victoria Rance, Freddie Robins, Veronica Ryan, Amy Stephens, Pamela Storey, Shelagh Wakely, Lois Williams

Dr Kelly Harker, exhibition curator and researcher: “We are delighted that If Not Now, When? is touring to the Saatchi Gallery, now with the inclusion of additional artworks. Visitors will encounter artists whose works have been seen rarely, artworks uncovered from archives, as well as art by emerging artists, all presented in a constellation of connections threaded through our theme of time. The exhibition builds on the feminist project Hepworth’s Progeny. Drawing on the life experiences of over 320 sculptor women, the research surfaced new narratives regarding the evolution of sculpture, and women’s creative lives, ambitions and careers post-war. It is gratifying that these important discussions will continue with audiences in London.”

As part of a Season of Sculpture, Saatchi Gallery will be presenting Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Boundless at the same time as If Not Now, When? with joint tickets made available to visitors online & ticket upgrades available at front of house. Please contact eleanor@saatchigallery.com for more information.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

For all press inquiries, please contact:

Eleanor Thirlway eleanor@saatchigallery.com I +44 (0) 20 7811 3091

Press Preview: Tuesday 14 November, 10 AM-1PM RSVP Essential: https://saatchigallery.com/rsvp/if-not-now-when-press-preview/

Dates & Opening Hours:
Open to the public: 15 November – 22 January 2024

10am – 6pm (last admission 5.30pm), Monday – Sunday

Saatchi Lates: Dates to be announced

Admission: General admission £10, Concession £7, Family £22. Members Go Free. 

Images:
Publicity images can be downloaded via our website. saatchigallery.com/press or by contacting press@saatchigallery.com

By downloading the images, you acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions found within the link. These images can only be reproduced to illustrate a review or criticism of a work or report as defined by section 30 (i) and (ii) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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School Visits & Community Groups:
With the generous support of all our patrons, for each major exhibition there are opportunities to engage with creative projects and workshops whether that be in-gallery, virtually, in the classroom or at home.

education@saatchigallery.com I +44(0)20 7811 3087

ABOUT THE HEPWORTH WAKEFIELD

Designed by the acclaimed David Chipperfield Architects, The Hepworth Wakefield is set within Wakefield’s historic waterfront, overlooking the River Calder and The Hepworth Wakefield Garden designed by Tom Stuart-Smith. Named after Barbara Hepworth, one of the most important artists of the 20th century who was born and brought up in Wakefield, the gallery presents major exhibitions of the best international modern and contemporary art. It is also home to Wakefield’s growing art collection – an inspiring resource comprising outstanding works of modern British and contemporary art. The gallery runs engaging programmes for schools, families and local community groups to provide inspiring creative learning opportunities and a vibrant workshop, talks and events programme, including regular art fairs and markets.

hepworthwakefield.org

ABOUT HEPWORTH’S PROGENY

Hepworth’s Progeny is funded by a donation from the Holberg Prize awarded to Professor Griselda Pollock in 2020 for her work in feminist studies in the visual arts and art history, and to foster extended research in this field. The project was guided by an Advisory Board of Griselda Pollock, Lorna Green, The Hepworth Wakefield’s Senior Curator Eleanor Clayton, sculptors Sokari Douglas Camp and Jill McKnight, and independent art historian Dr Alice Correia. The exhibition is co-curated by Dr Anna Douglas and Dr Kerry Harker.

ABOUT SAATCHI GALLERY

Since 1985, Saatchi Gallery has provided an innovative platform for contemporary art. Exhibitions have presented works by largely unseen young artists, or by international artists whose work has rarely or never been exhibited in the UK. This approach has made the Gallery one of the most recognised names in contemporary art. Since moving to its current 70,000 square feet space in the Duke of York’s Headquarters in Chelsea, London, the Gallery has welcomed over 10 million visitors. The Gallery hosts over 5,000 school visits annually and has over 6 million followers on social media. In 2019 Saatchi Gallery became a charity, beginning a new chapter in its history. www.saatchigallery.com

Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Rd, Chelsea, London SW3 4RY
Registered as a charity with registration number 1182328