Elephant in the room
ARTIST Sir Eduardo Paolozzi was born on March 7, 1924, in Leith, Scotland, the eldest son of Italian immigrants.
He studied at the Edinburgh College of Art, as well as studying fine art at University College London, before moving to Paris to work in 1947.
During this era, he made the acquaintance of many of the original surrealists, including, Georges Braque, Fernand Leger and Alberto Giacometti. The period is felt to be hugely influential to his later work.
Paolozzi was interested by a wide variety of media. On establishing a studio in Chelsea following his years in Paris, he created art from hundreds of found objects, using varied tools and materials to model and sculpt his collages.
While he worked with a mixture of media, he came to be associated most closely with sculpture. His works were affiliated with the Pop Art movement, as well as surrealist art, and often informed by cubist elements, particularly in large sculptural works such as his sculpture by Pimlico station on the London Underground.
In 1973 Nairn Floors Ltd commissioned Paolozzi to design a piece to make architects more aware of its products.
This resulted in the creation of Paolozzi’s now rare and iconic elephant, designed in conjunction with plastics engineer Keith Powell, and formed to contain and conceal product literature for the company.
The elephant was cast from a wood-wax mould, housing a specially designed 10in x 8in box.
It’s unique, narrow and highly sculptured design needed to be strong enough to stand straight on reception tables in architect’s firms, and to be robust enough for its use as a promotional container.
Most importantly, though, it was intended to convey strength, intelligence, and a rugged architectural beauty, which would draw the attention.
The elephant’s almost industrial, cubist appearance on initial inspection, takes on a more mobile, living feel upon lengthier viewing.
The eye seeks to disassemble and reconstruct its form, and there is a strangely pleasing dichotomy between the precise structural detail and the overall effect the piece creates.
Only 3,000 of these elephants were produced, all of them numbered.
In 1973 Design Journal commented: “It’s hoped that architects will treasure them, hoard them – anything except throw them away unopened along with the other trade samples.”
Forty-five years later, Anthemion Auctions in Cardiff is excited to be holding one of the rare elephants on its premises.
The striking sculpture, affectionately known in house as Enrico in honour of his creator’s Italian origins, will be entered into Anthemion’s fine art and collector’s auction on November 21, and is estimated to realise between £400 and £600.
Anthemion is currently accepting further items for all autumn auctions, including furniture, jewellery, works of art, paintings and collectables.