Angela Conner FRSS (born 1935) is an English sculptor who works in London. Conner has exhibited internationally and has large scale sculptures in public and private collections around the world.

Sculpture

In her early life as a sculptor, Conner assisted

Barbara Hepworth Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth (10 January 1903 – 20 May 1975) was an English artist and sculptor. Her work exemplifies Modernism and in particular modern sculpture. Along with artists such as Ben Nicholson and Naum Gabo, Hepworth was a leadin ...

. She works in a wide range of materials including marble, steel, stone and perspex, with many of her sculptures incorporating water as an integral feature. Conner's kinetic sculptures are concerned with utilizing "natural elements like water, sun, gravity or wind to create mobiles that entice viewers to stop and watch their gentle movement". The movement of Conner's sculptures entirely depend on the natural forces they react with and not electricity. "If mankind were suddenly to die out, and if as a result there were no artificial power, the sculpture would still continue its pattern of opening and revealing, then closing and embracing" Revelation Sculpture

Unfortunately, despite claims that her sculptures would still continue to function sans human life, in reality electricity powers her sculptures and they are connected to a water utility rather than a spring or artesian well. In her long career, Conner has created many notable large scale

kinetic sculpture Kinetic art is art from any medium that contains movement perceivable by the viewer or that depends on motion for its effects. Canvas paintings that extend the viewer's perspective of the artwork and incorporate multidimensional movement are ...

s which are entirely powered by natural forces. Conner's 129 ft water and wind sculpture 'Wave' at Park West Dublin is possibly the tallest kinetic water and wind sculpture in Europe. Irish Wave at Park West in Dublin

Conner is also well known for her enigmatic figurative work modeled from life, which "on an intimate and personal level probe the character behind the mask". Conner has created posthumous portraits, but prefers to work from life, -"working from life is a form, perhaps, of an osmosis. It has to be done by instinct; its not something you can do intellectually."

Chatsworth House Chatsworth House is a stately home in the Derbyshire Dales, north-east of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield, England. The seat of the Duke of Devonshire, it has belonged to the House of Cavendish, Cavendish family si ...

has a collection of 14 bronze busts located in the grounds, including portraits of

Lucian Freud Lucian Michael Freud (; 8 December 1922 – 20 July 2011) was a British painter and draughtsman, specialising in figurative art, and is known as one of the foremost 20th-century English portraitists. His early career as a painter was inf ...

, the Eleventh

Duke of Devonshire Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This (now the senior) branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the wealthiest British aristocratic families since the 16th century and has b ...

Harold Macmillan Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986), was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Nickn ...

Roy Strong Sir Roy Colin Strong, (born 23 August 1935) is an English art historian, museum curator, writer, broadcaster and landscape designer. He has served as director of both the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. ...

, HRH the Prince of Wales, Camilla Parker-Bowles and

John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman, (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architect ...

. Conner was commissioned to sculpt from life

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

by the

Knights of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, it is outranked in precedence only by the decorations of the Victoria ...

to mark the Queen's 80th birthday. Conner's statue of

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

playing Hamlet was commissioned to celebrate the centenary of his birth and is located on the South Bank opposite the

Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

. In 1982 Conner created a memorial fountain to honour those repatriated as a result of the

Yalta Conference The Yalta Conference (), held 4–11 February 1945, was the World War II meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union to discuss the postwar reorganization of Germany and Europe. The three sta ...

following World War II. These were Russian and Eastern European people who were forcibly repatriated to the USSR, often facing torture and execution. The first memorial from 1982 was a tilting water sculpture made of Hopton Stone, located on the north side of Thurloe Square opposite the Vicitoria and Albert Museum. It was repeatedly damaged, so Connor raised funds for a second memorial, ''

Twelve Responses to Tragedy Twelve or 12 may refer to: * 12 (number) * December, the twelfth and final month of the year * Dozen, a group of twelve. Years * 12 BC * AD 12 * 1912 * 2012 Film * Twelve (2010 film), ''Twelve'' (2010 film), based on the 2002 novel * 12 (2007 film ...

'', which was dedicated in 1986. The monument stands in the Yalta Memorial Garden in South Kensington. She has work in a number of US public collections including the Jewish Museum, New York and the

Carnegie Museum of Art The Carnegie Museum of Art is an art museum in the Oakland (Pittsburgh), Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The museum was originally known as the Department of Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute and was formerly located ...

in Pittsburgh. Her work Quartet, for Heinx Hall Plaza Pittsburg, uses the weight of water flowing to make the four stainless steel shapes move in a regular rhythm. Twelve Responses to Tragedy by Angela Conner - geograph

Twelve Responses to Tragedy by Angela Conner - geograph

Commissions

Kinetic sculptures

*'Revelation',

, Derbyshire, England * Rising Universe, also known as Cosmic Cycle or the Shelley Fountain,

Horsham Horsham () is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

, West Sussex, England (demolished 2016) *'Big Tipper', Bad Driburg Spa Gardens, Germany *'Libra',

Lovells Hogan Lovells ( ) is an American-British law firm co-headquartered in London and Washington, D.C., Washington, DC. The firm was formed in 2010 by the Mergers and acquisitions, merger of the American law firm Hogan & Hartson and the British law f ...

, London *'Wave', Park West, Dublin, Ireland *'Threshold', Darlington Arts Centre,

Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...

, County Durham, England *'Arpeggio', Heinz Hall Plaza,

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, USA *'Life Force',

Boughton House Boughton House is a country house in the parish of Weekley in Northamptonshire, England, situated about north-east of Kettering. It is situated within an estate of . The present house was built by Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu (d.1709) ...

, Northamptonshire, England. *'Poise', Chesterfield, England; Park West, Ireland;

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located along the Tennessee River and borders Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the south. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, it is Tennessee ...

, USA *'Tipping Triangles',

Aston University Aston University (abbreviated as ''Aston'' for post-nominals) is a public university situated in the city centre of Birmingham, England. Aston began as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School in 1895, evolving into the UK's first College of a ...

, Birmingham, England *'Renaissance',

Hatfield House Hatfield House is a Grade I listed English country house, country house set in a large park, the Great Park, on the eastern side of Hatfield, Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England. The present Jacobean architecture, Jacobean hous ...

, Hertfordshire, England

Figurative work

*Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

, Commissioned by the

for The Queen's 80th birthday * Laurence Olivier Statue, National Theatre,

South Bank The South Bank is an entertainment and commercial area on the south bank of the River Thames, in the London Borough of Lambeth, central London, England. The South Bank is not formally defined, but is generally understood to be situated betwe ...

, London for the centenary of Olivier's birth *

The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was also ...

, Cheltenham Racecourse *

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French general and statesman who led the Free France, Free French Forces against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government of the French Re ...

Carlton Gardens The Carlton Gardens is a World Heritage Site, UNESCO World Heritage Site located on the northeastern edge of the Melbourne central business district, Central Business District in the suburb of Carlton, Victoria, Carlton, Melbourne, in the stat ...

, London *

David Stirling Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Archibald David Stirling, (15 November 1915 – 4 November 1990) was a Scottish officer in the British Army and the founder and creator of the Special Air Service (SAS). Under his leadership, the SAS carried out hit-and ...

, Doune, Scotland, and Hereford, England *

Elisabeth Frink Dame Elisabeth Jean Frink (14 November 1930 – 18 April 1993) was an English sculptor and printmaker. Her ''Times'' obituary noted the three essential themes in her work as "the nature of Man; the 'horseness' of horses; and the divine in ...

, Bronze Head,

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

, bronze head, American Museum and Gardens near

Bath, Somerset Bath (Received Pronunciation, RP: , ) is a city in Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman Baths (Bath), Roman-built baths. At the 2021 census, the population was 94,092. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, Bristol, River A ...

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time (magazine), Time'' called "a sense of personal style, a combination of c ...

Statue, at Firefly Estate, Jamaica *

*Collections 14 of Angela Conner's Bronze Busts at

Exhibitions

Solo shows

* American Museum and Gardens, near Bath 2018 *Galerie Piece Unique, Paris 2008 *

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

Gardens, Embankment, London 2004 *'The Chaos Factor', Browse and Darby, London 1989 *'Sculptures for Landscape', Browse and Darby, London 1986 *Hirschl Gallery, Cork St, London *Library and Museum of the Performing Arts, Lincoln Centre, New York 1971 *

The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British newspaper published weekly in printed magazine format and daily on Electronic publishing, digital platforms. It publishes stories on topics that include economics, business, geopolitics, technology and culture. M ...

Plaza, London

Group shows

*Sculpture in the Garden 2014: 'The Visionary Landscape of Professor Sir Robert Burgess', Leicester University 2014 *'Elemental', Burghley Sculpture Garden 2014 *'A Celebration of Modern British Sculpture'

Beaux Arts Gallery Beaux Arts Gallery was a gallery at 1 Bruton Place, London, England. It was known as a preeminent center for promoting avant-garde art until its closure in 1965. Founded and operated by portrait sculptor Frederick Lessore in 1923, the gallery wa ...

, Cork St, London 2012 * The Jerwood Collection, Ragley Hall 2011

Awards and honours

*Kinetic Art Organisation Award 1st Prize * Allianz Business 2 Art Award for Wave sculpture in West Park, Dublin, Ireland *

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

, Honor Award for Sculpture and Co-design of Plaza Garden, Heinz Hall Pittsburgh U.S.A. 1985 *

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...

Award for Refurbishment to Town Centre *

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

of the

Royal Society of Sculptors The Royal Society of Sculptors (RSS) is a British charity established in 1905, which promotes excellence in the art and practice of sculpture. Its headquarters are a centre for contemporary sculpture on Old Brompton Road in South Kensington, Lo ...

(FRSS) *2013 Fellow of the

Hereford College of Arts Hereford College of Arts (HCA) is an art school based in Herefordshire, United Kingdom. Description It offers courses in both further and higher education fields, in Art & Design, Music and Performing Arts, to national and international studen ...

*Pratt Legends Award, New York 2016. *Shortlisted for 2018 Marsh Award for excellence in public fountains for 'Renaissance', Hatfield House, Hertfordshire. UK

Personal life

Conner is married to the photographer

John Bulmer John Bulmer (born 28 February 1938) is a photographer, notable for his early use of colour in photojournalism, and a filmmaker. Life and career Bulmer was born on 28 February 1938 in Herefordshire,

who often videos and photographs her sculptures. The couple live at Monnington on Wye, where they breed and train

Morgan horse The Morgan horse is one of the earliest horse breeds developed in the United States. Tracing back to the foundation bloodstock, foundation sire Figure (horse), Figure, later named Justin Morgan after his best-known owner, Morgans served ma ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conner, Angela 1935 births Living people 20th-century English sculptors 20th-century English women sculptors 21st-century English sculptors 21st-century English women artists British modern sculptors English contemporary artists Fellows of the Royal British Society of Sculptors