William Black, (British, 20th century), Woman & Bird, 1964

a patinated copper alloy sculpture, signed, titled and dated to underside

26.5cm high

Often overlooked and largely unknown, self-taught sculptor, William Black, spent the early 1950s working as an architect, before moving to St Ives, Cornwall, where he initiated his career as a sculptor. Whilst living and working in St Ives, Black formed a close friendship with John Tunnard and collaborated with artists including Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Naum Gabo.

Influenced by deconstructivism and his previous career as an architect, Black’s works are typified by his use of disparate and dislocated shapes assembled to form a new and cohesive whole.