An exceptional casting by an exceptional artist, on offer is this superb bronze by master sculptor, Thomas W. Bates. The inherent level of artistry & workmanship warrants museum exhibit. A force to be reckoned with, the sheer power & immediacy of Bates' sculptures are at once evident, inescapable, & boldly compelling... This is a rare opportunity to acquire an extraordinary work by one of the world's finest living sculptors.
Never before available, this magnificent life-size sculpture was more than a year in the making. A complicated casting, the immense power of the female form is perhaps nowhere more evident than in Bates' The Great Singer. Her striking profiles reveal the remarkable contours of a confident figure with strong, athletic musculature, & buttocks accentuated by her arching spine. Cascading hair, resembling intertwined grape clusters, drapes dramatically around her shoulders. Held very precisely between thumb & index finger, she symbolically dangles an exposed penis.
A sculptor all his life, Thomas W. Bates served as Senior Lecturer in Fine Art & as Head of School of Sculpture, Exeter College of Art & Design, Exeter (UK), until leaving in 1990 to concentrate full time on his own work. His work has been exhibited at the Royal Academy (London) & numerous commercial galleries & private forums in the UK & Australia. At the age of 77 & with his artwork housed in collections around the world, Bates continues to produce a steady & prolific stream of sculptures, drawings, & poetry from the rural seclusion of his studio in South Australia.
"This is an artist you can trust."
~ Tony Smith, Arts Review UK, Volume XXXX No. 3
