William Kenneth Armitage (1916 – 2002) was a British sculptor known for his semi-abstract bronzes.
Armitage studied at the Leeds College of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art in London before joining the British Army in 1939. Armitage became head of the sculpture department at the Bath Academy of Art in 1946, a year after completing his military service, and served for a decade. In 1952, he held his first one-man show in London. In 1953, he became Great Britain's first university artist in residence, at the University of Leeds (to 1956). In 1958, he won best international sculpture under age 45 at the Venice Biennale. Armitage was made CBE in 1969 and was elected to the Royal Academy in 1994.
Armitage's striking mature style was evident as early as 1952. Most of his works are recognizably human, but are sometimes joined with the forms of animals or furniture. Many displayed quirky humor. Armitage was also interested in ancient Egyptian and Cycladic art and his works have an archaic flavour. He was featured in the 1964 documentary film "5 British Sculptors (Work and Talk)" by American filmmaker Warren Forma.
The movement and energy in Kenneth Armitage's sculpture is an abiding presence. Manifest in People in the Wind 1950, a sculpture acquired by the Tate Gallery, in which a cluster of four figures strain against the element, this force appears in different form with Garden Game 1983 where figures cavort and play against a dividing screen. Armitage writes, "Naturally my sculpture contains ideas or experiences other than those that derive directly from observation of the human image, nevertheless it is always dressed in some degree in human form." Parallel themes occur in his drawings and prints.
Public Collections:Another cast is in the collection of the Scottish National Gallery of Art. Provenance Gabrielle Keiller, purchased 1963, gift to the Gallery in 1995
© 2018. All images are copyrighted © by Kenneth Armitage or assignee. The use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission from the artist is obtained.
Armitage studied at the Leeds College of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art in London before joining the British Army in 1939. Armitage became head of the sculpture department at the Bath Academy of Art in 1946, a year after completing his military service, and served for a decade. In 1952, he held his first one-man show in London. In 1953, he became Great Britain's first university artist in residence, at the University of Leeds (to 1956). In 1958, he won best international sculpture under age 45 at the Venice Biennale. Armitage was made CBE in 1969 and was elected to the Royal Academy in 1994.
Armitage's striking mature style was evident as early as 1952. Most of his works are recognizably human, but are sometimes joined with the forms of animals or furniture. Many displayed quirky humor. Armitage was also interested in ancient Egyptian and Cycladic art and his works have an archaic flavour. He was featured in the 1964 documentary film "5 British Sculptors (Work and Talk)" by American filmmaker Warren Forma.
The movement and energy in Kenneth Armitage's sculpture is an abiding presence. Manifest in People in the Wind 1950, a sculpture acquired by the Tate Gallery, in which a cluster of four figures strain against the element, this force appears in different form with Garden Game 1983 where figures cavort and play against a dividing screen. Armitage writes, "Naturally my sculpture contains ideas or experiences other than those that derive directly from observation of the human image, nevertheless it is always dressed in some degree in human form." Parallel themes occur in his drawings and prints.
Public Collections:Another cast is in the collection of the Scottish National Gallery of Art. Provenance Gabrielle Keiller, purchased 1963, gift to the Gallery in 1995
© 2018. All images are copyrighted © by Kenneth Armitage or assignee. The use of any image from this site is prohibited unless prior written permission from the artist is obtained.
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| Mr Kenneth Armitage |
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| 1949, Linked Figures |
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| 1949, Linked Figures |
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| 1950, People in the Wind |
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| 1951, Family Going for a Walk |
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| 1952 Sitting People (Oturan Kisiler) |
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| 1952, Flat standing figure |
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| 1952, Flat standing figure |
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| 1952, Standing group II (Small Version) |
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| 1952, Standing Group |
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| 1953, Footballers |
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| 1954 Square Figure Relief |
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| 1954, Family Going for a Walk |
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| 1954, Reclining Nude |
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| 1954, Standing Figure |
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| 1954, Standing group |
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| 1955, Two Standing Figures |
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| Armitage |
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| 1955, Two Standing Figures |
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| 1956 Reclining Figure |
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| 1956, Standing Figure |
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| 1956, The Seasons (Model A) |
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| 1956-57, Standing Woman |
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| 1957 Diarchy 3 |
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| 1957 Sprawling Woman |
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| 1957, Figure Lying on Its Side |
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| 1957, Diarchy |
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| 1957, Diarchy |
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| 1957, Two Seated Figures |
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| 1957, Two Seated Figures |
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| 1958-59 Triarquia |
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| 1959, Roly Poly |
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| 1960, Balanced Figure |
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| 1960, Seated Figure |
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| 1961 Sibyl |
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| 1961 The Visitors |
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| 1961, Anvil Figure |
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| 1961, Little Monitor |
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| 1961, Månfigur |
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| 1961, Minotaur |
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| 1961, Playful figure |
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| 1961, Sibyl III |
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| 1961, Sun |
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| 1961, The Prophet |
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| 1963 Pandarus (version 3) |
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| 1963, Mouton |
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| 1964, Pandarus |
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| 1965 The Forest Small Model |
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| 1966 Pearly Gates (version 2) |
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| 1969, Table |
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| 1969-70, Both Arms |
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| 1979, July Figure, Version 2 |
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| 1985 Richmond Oak |
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| 2001, Reaching for the Stars |
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| Both Hands |
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| Seated figure, Second version |
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| Single Oak |
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| The Legend of Skadar, version 9 |
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