‘You are what you do’: The life and sculpture of Elisabeth Frink by Wilfrid Wright

Dame Elisabeth Frink CH DBE RA (1930–1993) was one of the most prominent British sculptors of the late twentieth century. In a prolific career spanning more than 40 years, she completed dozens of public commissions and had works acquired by major institutions around the globe. However, despite her enormous success and popularity with the public, Frink never felt fully understood by the art world, and it is arguably only in the 30 years following her death in 1993 that Frink’s important place in art history has been fully recognised. This talk examines some of the core themes and images which run throughout Frink’s oeuvre, discussing the artist’s influences, unique working practices, and art historical context through key sculptures and episodes from her extraordinary life.

Wilfrid Wright is a British art historian, writer and curator, specialising in modern and contemporary British art and visual culture. He studied History of Art at the University of Warwick (BA, 2022) and the Courtauld Institute of Art (MA, 2023), where his research focused largely on 20th century British sculpture in an international context and, in particular, the work of Elisabeth Frink. He has contributed to various publications, most recently Elisabeth Frink: A View From Within (Dorset Museum, 2023), the catalogue for Frink’s forthcoming major touring exhibition, opening at the Dorset Museum in November 2023.