§ LAURENCE BRODERICK M.R.B.S. F.R.S.A. (BRITISH 1935-)

LAURENCE BRODERICK M.R.B.S. F.R.S.A. (BRITISH 1935-)
MAQUETTE FOR 'THE BULL', BULLRING BIRMINGHAM, 2003
signed, titled, and numbered AC/10 (to edge of base), bronze, mounted on circular bronze base, from the edition of 10 artist's casts
including base: 36cm high, 80cm wide (14 1/8in high, 31 ½in wide)
The Studio of Laurence Broderick.
This exceptional collection is a testament to Laurence Broderick’s enduring commitment to the natural world. Distilling figural and animal forms into fluid, organic curves, Broderick expresses not only his subjects’ likeness, but also articulates something of their personality and physicality. This is all achieved through the expert manipulation of stone and bronze. Broderick tends to work with British stone, including English alabaster, Cornish soapstone, limestone from Hopton Wood and Ancaster and marble from Purbeck, Portsoy and Ledmore. The artist has stated that he does not use preparatory drawings, instead allowing the intrinsic quality of his material to inform the appearance of his sculpture as he carves. His work is usually highly polished to emphasise the smooth lines of his subject’s form and to enhance the intrinsic hues of his medium. However, on occasion he also implements passages of unpolished stone, as can be seen in Nude with Long Hair (lot 273) and Dancer I (lot 272). Broderick is best known for The Bull (2003), installed at The Bull Ring in Birmingham, and for the otters that recur across his work. Following a visit to the Isle of Skye in 1978 Broderick was enchanted by his first sighting of a wild otter and devoted much of his later career to capturing the creature’s playful agility. The artist is a passionate campaigner for wildlife conservation, and many of his sculptures depict endangered species.