Sworders
Lot 548
*William Pye (b.1938),
MAQUETTE FOR 'KINGS CROSS I'
Stainless steel, signed and dated 1974 on side of base
97cm wide
88cm high
Literature: 'William Pye his work and his words', Brown & Brown, 2011.
On Bobby Chapman's advice, a group of young property developers, headed by Stuart Lipton, provided William Pye with his first major commission in 1972. The developers, in conjunction with architects Chapman Taylor, were undertaking an office development on Pentonville Road, and 'Kings Cross I' was conceived to stand on the corner of Pentonville Road and Killick Street. Installed in 1974, it was the first large scale, tensioned cable sculpture that Pye had undertaken and, consequently, required all manner of stress tests before installation. It led to many more commissions for tension cable structures, both in the UK and California.
In 2008, the area was redeveloped as 'Nido' independent student accommodation by the Blackstone Group. Thirty years after the original, William Pye was involved in resiting a new version 'KX200'. He borrowed this maquette from Mr and Mrs Chapman to refresh his memory of the original project.
William (Bill) Pye was born in London in 1938. He studied at Wimbledon School of Art (1958-61) and then spent three years in the sculpture school of the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1965. He had an eight year series of successful one-man shows at the Redfern Gallery, before breaking out independently and concentrating on large scale sculpture.
He has taught at the Central School of Art and Goldsmith's College, amongst other institutions, and in 1978 a major retrospective of his work was held at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
He is renowned for using metal, stone and above all water, and is fascinated by the reflective surface. He is both a masterful sculptor and engineer.
*Artist's Resale Right may apply to this lot. CONDITION REPORT: A couple of shallow dents to base.
Some scratches to top surface of base.
