Crash Head
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Object number19902
TitleCrash Head
Creator Eduardo Paolozzi, (Artist)
DescriptionCrash Head was made in 1970 by Eduardo Paolozzi, one of Britain’s most influential post-war artists. It is beautifully cast in highly polished bronze like a classical sculpture, in stark contrast to the unnerving sightless gaze of the figure’s eyes. The bolts at the neck are reminiscent of Frankenstein’s monster.
Paolozzi was born and brought up in Leith, the son of Italian immigrants. As a boy he collected cards and pictures which he pasted into a scrapbook – a practice which went on to become a lifelong passion for collage. He studied art in Edinburgh and London and went on to live in Paris from 1947-50. It was there he met and was inspired by artists such as Braque, Léger and the sculptor Giacometti.
Paolozzi constantly developed his practice, moving on from his early involvement with Pop Art. He worked prolifically throughout the 1960s, experimenting with sculpture and screen-printing. By the time Crash Head was made in 1970, Paolozzi was disillusioned with Pop Art and had turned his attention to darker issues.
He was a close friend of the writer J G Ballard, whose dystopian and post-apocalyptic themes chimed with Paolozzi’s thoughts regarding the impact of technology and man versus the machine. A series of works inspired by crash test dummies seem to fit perfectly Paolozzi’s own description of his work as a “health warning for an uncreative and thriftless society.”
Eduardo Paolozzi was knighted in 1989 following his appointment as Her Majesty’s Sculptor in Ordinary for Scotland. His work is represented in collections and public places all over the world.
Production date 1970
Object nameSculpture, Bronze Sculpture
MaterialBronze
Dimensions
whole Height: 370 mm
whole Width: 265 mm
whole Depth: 210 mm
whole Width: 265 mm
whole Depth: 210 mm