Sculptor Philip Jackson - The Power of Body Language and Emotion

Image Copyright Janet Cameron

Inspirational and dramatic, relying heavily on body-language and emotion, Philip Jackson's work is deep and thought-provoking and yet accessible to all. 

Do we respond to works of art for the properties they contain, or because of the way they make us feel? Could it be that by arousing strong and specific emotions, works of art are made more valuable to us?  R.W. Hepburn, in his essay, "Emotions and emotional qualities: some attempts at analysis" tries to address these complex questions.

"Do works of art 'express' emotion, or evoke it, 'represent it' it, 'master' it, 'organise' it, or 'purge' it?" he asks. Is it possible they can do several or all of these things? When we express an emotion about a work of art, is it we, ourselves, who are feeling this emotion? Whether it is joy or sadness, isn't it just subjective?

Yet, there are counter claims that emotions and feelings can be in works of art, and this is what is celebrated about the works of sculptor, Philip Jackson.

Sculptor Philip Jackson's Bomber Command Memorial, consisting of seven nine-foot tall figures of a flight command crew, was unveiled on 28 June 2012. 

Other fine examples of the sculptor's work have been on display in the medieval cloisters of Chichester Cathedral in West Sussex, a venue that provides a beautiful Gothic backdrop. All the photographs here were taken at the exhibition, which was situated in a central and open area of the cloisters. The beautiful surroundings did justice to these stunning and unique figures. 

Emotive and Powerful Artwork says Dr. Sharon-Michi Kusonoki

The sculptures, representing narratives from ancient times to the modern-day, are dramatic, thought-provoking and yet accessible. Senior Curator, Dr. Sharon-Michi Kusunoki praises the elegance and enigmatic qualities of Jackson's artwork, and the power they have to touch people's hearts: 

"Philip Jackson's work is emotive and communicates in a way that is engaging and equally accessible to all ages and classes. Like motionless actors on an elaborate set, its impact is genuine and its qualities should not be underestimated or ignored."

R.W. Hepburn believes that these emotional qualities can be described as being in works of art. He says:

"We speak of a musical note being 'high' or 'low' - the highness or lowness being heard as phenomenally in the note. From this, there is a gentle transition to speaking of a phrase as 'incomplete', 'questioning', or 'nimble'... and on to emotional qualities in the strictest sense like 'melancholy', 'tender', 'plaintive'. 

Hepburn makes similar examples for visual artworks, which can progress from being 'three-dimensional' to being 'awkward and unstable' to being 'comically awkward'.

Public Commissions

It's said that Philip Jackson's art truly portrays the depth and pathos of the human condition, and that it encompasses intrigue and secrets and conspiracy. Since his artworks are imbued with such a strong creative force, it's unsurprising that Jackson has received a number of public commissions which have also resulted in a further impressive body of work. 

Jackson was responsible for the Falklands Memorial in honour of the 255 servicemen who were killed during the conflict. The memorial was unveiled at the National Memorial Aboretum in Staffordshire in 1992 by Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher.

Hepburn makes the point, however, that the use of the word 'in' with regard to emotion in an artwork cannot be used in the same way when it is experienced within a person. "People experience emotions: works of art do not."

Hepburn makes an interesting point when he says that emotions are named only when there is some utilitarian point in their having names. He explains that art deals little in the repetitive and stereotyped. "Its slant on the world is often in striking contrast to that of workaday utility. The probability, then, is that its emotions should show the same contrast: their namelessness is no argument for their non-existence."

Emotion can be aroused in a person through the way that they interpret something and then experience excitement. This arousal of emotion, being high particularised and differentiated from the everyday world, makes it a possible source of aesthetic value.

Philip Jackson - from 1987 till the Present Day

Philip Jackson, MA, FRBS, FRSA was born in 1944 in Inverness in Scotland. Sculptor to Queen Elizabeth II, Jackson's work is on display not only in cities across the United Kingdom, but also in Argentina and Switzerland. He has an impressive C.V. and has received a vast number of awards and accolades for his exhibitions. Specific details of his achievements can be found here.

His book Philip Jackson Sculptures - Sculptures since 1987, contains 100 quality images of his work as well as an interview with the critic, Sheridan Morley. It costs £30 plus £5.40 p & p in UK.

Sources:

·      Verbal input from Chichester Cathedral staff and Cathedral literary guides. 6 July 2012.

·      Hepburn, R.W. "Emotions and emotional qualities: some attempts at analysis,"Theories of Art and Beauty, ed. Robert Wilkinson, The Open University, 1991.

·      BBC News Accessed 6 July 2012.

·      Philip Jackson Sculptures Accessed 6 July 2012.