Dame Elisabeth Frink, R.A.

Theo Waddington Inc., Montreal, where acquired by Milton Ginsburg, 29th January 1980

London, Waddington Galleries, Elisabeth Frink: Recent Work, 2nd December - 23rd December 1969, un-numbered catalogue (another cast);
Cambridge, Kettle's Yard Gallery, Man and Beast, Sculpture, Drawings, Prints, Illustrated Books by Elisabeth Frink, 20th July - 11th August 1973, cat. no.20 (another cast, as Walking Man with Goggles);
Washington, The National Museum for Women in the Arts, Elisabeth Frink: Sculpture and Drawings 1950-1990, 1990, un-numbered catalogue (another cast).

Bryan Robertson (intro.), Elisabeth Frink Sculpture, Harpvale Books, Salisbury, 1984, cat. no.185, illustrated p.176 (another cast);
Annette Ratuszniak (ed.), Elisabeth Frink, Catalogue Raisonné of Sculpture 1947-93, Lund Humphries in association with the Frink Estate and Beaux Arts, London, 2013, cat. no.FCR212, p.117 illustrated (another cast).

Structurally sound, there is a tiny single casting flaw to the centre of the base, with one or two tiny pin holes visible elsewhere to the body, only visible upon very close inspection. These do not, in our opinion, detract from the overall appearance of the work. There is very minor surface dirt and dust to the crevices, but this excepting the work appears in excellent overall condition. Please telephone the department on +44 (0) 207 293 6424 if you have any questions regarding the present lot.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

‘I have focused on the male because to me he is a subtle combination of sensuality and strength with vulnerability’ (Frink quoted in Bryan Robertson, Elisabeth Frink Sculptures, Harpvale Books, Salisbury, 1984, p.51).

 

Man with Goggles belongs to a small series that Frink developed concurrently with her iconic Goggle Heads, see lot 18, between 1967-9. The figures are cast in subtly varying postures, either armless or arms crossed, on the move or standing still, and they wear Frink’s distinctive ‘goggles.’ The inspiration for the goggles stemmed from media images of General Mohammed Oufkir, who in 1965 stood accused of ordering the assassination of the exiled Ben Barka. Seen wearing dark shades, Oufkir left an exceedingly sinister impression on Frink, which she translated into her goggle-wearing figures.

Throughout her career, Frink explored the theme of masculine aggression and her work of the late 1960s focuses most strongly on its negative aspects. Commenting on the work of this period, Bryan Robertson wrote: ‘It has started soon after the war as a love affair with the ideal of heroic youth and its potential for good, but over the years had gradually matured into disgust at the cynicism and callous opportunism of fully-grown men, whether they be soldiers or civilians’ (Bryan Robertson, Elisabeth Frink Sculpture, op. cit., p.61).

The largest of the series, in Man with Goggles the figure appears to have had his attention stirred by something mid-stride, his head turned slightly to the left. The goggles make this stare all the more menacing. Unlike the Google Heads, they are unsupported and appear to be an extension of the head itself, bulging directly from it. As such, they bear resemblances with the eyes of a bird of prey, large and threatening. In this regard, they link with Frink’s bird sculptures of the 1950s with which she established her career as a young student. These birds, or bird-men were, as Frink remarked, ‘vehicles for strong feelings of panic, tension, aggression and predatoriness’ (Frink quoted in Elisabeth Frink, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1985, p.11). The fact the figure is armless however, also adds an element of vulnerability characteristic of Frink’s complex explorations of the male character.