Tate too: Pedigree sculpture comes to Cambridge

Previously displayed in the Tate Britain’s Sculpture Court, ‘Beast Alerted 1’ a metallic work by one of Britain’s greatest sculptors is now on public view at Churchill College Cambridge.

Shining in beautifully polished aluminium, the piece was one of the final works by acclaimed British sculptor Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003). Created in 1990, the 7ft work of art will have pride of place on the large sculpture plinth at the front of the College and is visible from Storeys Way.

The plinth at the front of Churchill regularly displays works of art. The last display showed the giant rusted steel structure 'Forum' by Sir Anthony Caro, and 'Beast Alerted 1' will be on loan to the college for a least a year.

With a career spanning over 50 years, much of Chadwick's work was inspired by the natural world, sculptures based on the human figure or animal forms. The sharp geometry of earlier works in the 1940s and 50s reveal dark emotions of fear, defiance and vulnerability, reminiscent of the post-war mood.

"Filling an empty plinth with an appropriate piece of sculpture can be a tricky business, as the London authorities recently discovered," commented Dr Colin Fraser, Chairman of the 'Hanging Committee' at Churchill College. "We at Churchill are delighted to fill our plinth for the next year with such a striking work by one of the giants of 20th century British Sculpture."

Churchill is home to many beautiful large scale works including 'Four Square Walk' by Barbara Hepworth, 'Mother and Child' by Dhruva Mistry RA, 'Gemini' by Denis Mitchell, 'Flight' by Peter Lyon, and 'Spiral' by Michael Gillespie, amongst others.

The Chadwick loan is the result of a collaboration between Churchill College Hanging Committee, Pangolin Gallery (Stroud, Glos.) and The Lynn Chadwick Foundation.