Henry Moore's invasion of Kew Gardens
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Your support makes all the difference.With its 300 acres of botanical treasures gathered over two centuries, Kew Gardens is used to providing a setting for some of the most exotic shapes in nature.
Recent visitors to the glass houses and flower beds in west London, however, will have noticed a number of manmade additions to the landscape every bit as dramatic in form as the flora. Some 29 works by Henry Moore have been hoisted into place in the past fortnight for a landmark exhibition of the sculptor's monumental creations.
Curators of the showcase in the Royal Botanic Gardens, which will run for seven months from 15 September, believe it is a unique opportunity to marry Moore's love of landscape with the natural shapes that inspired his work. The sculptor once said: "Landscape has been for me one of the sources of my energy. I find that all natural forms are a source of unending interest – tree trunks, the texture and variety grasses. The whole of nature is an endless demonstration of shape and form."
The exhibition, which is curated by the Henry Moore Foundation, based at the sculptor's former home in Hertfordshire, has been timed to coincide with the most dramatic seasonal changes, starting with autumn's falling leaves and culminating with a riot of spring colour next March.
David Mitchinson, the head of collections and exhibitions at the foundation, said: "Henry Moore always wanted his sculpture to be free-standing, capable of being seen in the round from all 360 degrees and for this the open landscape of Kew provides the perfect setting.
"The combination of foliage, lawns, vistas, water and architecture in the changing seasonal light will give visitors the opportunity of viewing Moore's monumental bronzes in unison with nature."
The exhibition will feature Double Oval, two giant ellipses cast in bronze, and Large Reclining Figure, which is cast in polystyrene and white resin. A separate exhibition inside one of Kew's buildings will explain the background to Moore's work.
Information about the works will available to visitors via audio guides sent direct to their mobile phones via multimedia message.
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