Waterhouse & Dodd are very pleased to announce the representation of renowned British sculptor Sophie Ryder in the USA. Ryder's work has long been a feature of the British cultural landscape, most recently in a magnificent exhibition at Salisbury Cathedral. She has also established an enviable reputation in America, something we hope to develop further over the coming months, starting with a major exhibition in our New York gallery in December and three art fairs in Florida between December and February.
Ryder's solo show will feature 20 works, from small table-top sculptures to large outdoor pieces. The largest scale works, a selection of which can be seen online and in her recent book A Life in Sculpture, can be ordered through us and delivered worldwide.
Ryder's work is instantly recognisable. Over the last 30 years she has built a personal repertoire of mythological figures and motifs. Her public sculptures are often monumental, as witnessed during the Salisbury exhibition, but the tenderness of the subject matter also works perfectly on a more intimate scale. Two of her most enduring figures, the hare and the Minotaur, are rich in art historical metaphors. The playful hare has long been used as a symbol of fertility and regeneration. Its femininity is often juxtaposed with the masculinity of the Minotaur and a brooding sexual tension exists between the two characters when paired together.
These distinctive characters form only one part of Ryder's oeuvre. Monumental clasped hands and beautifully observed eyes, anatomical details particularly relevant to the artist, are rendered in a variety of media including cast bronze and her now signature wire mesh. Ryder's profound love of animals is emphasised in her depictions of horses and dogs, constant companions in her life as well as her sculpture. Occasionally one discovers found objects, such as children's toys, embedded in the cast bronzes, which add an autobiographical note and a further layer of narrative depth.
Ryder's work is entrancing at first glance, but equally rewarding of longer term contemplation. The playfulness of the imagery is married to a conceptual seriousness that channels some of the most profound art historical concerns.
Ryder's solo show will be held at our New York gallery from 9th December to 28th January. Her work will be shown at the Art Miami (29th November-4th December), Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary (12th-15th January) and Art Wynwood (16th-20th February) fairs.
View a selection of available works by Sophie Ryder here.
For more information on commissions, to order a copy of Sophie Ryder: A Life in Sculpture, and her forthcoming exhibition details, please contact the gallery at +1 212 717 9100.