A day out in The Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle

The triangle comprises The Henry Moore Institute, The Hepworth Wakefield, Leeds Art Gallery and Yorkshire Sculpture Park, which are only a 30-minute drive, bus or train ride from each other. Which means you can enjoy an afternoon, a day or a weekend at all four venues and see world-class exhibitions throughout the year.

The triangle is named after The Yorkshire Rhubarb triangle.  Few British people have heard of this. To my shame, I was one of them.  The Rhubarb Triangle is a nine square mile triangle between Wakefield, Morley and Rothwell famous for producing early forced Rhubarb. The  Triangle was originally much bigger, covering an area between Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield.  From the first decade of the 20th century to 1939 the rhubarb industry expanded and at its peak covered an area of about 30 square miles.  

Rhubarb is a native of Siberia and thrives in the wet cold winters in Yorkshire. West Yorkshire once produced 90% of the world's winter forced rhubarb from the forcing sheds that were common across the fields there.

In February 2010, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb was awarded protected status by the EU.  Yet another reason to #remain.  

First we are off to Leeds.  The Art Gallery is closed for a refurb but we visit The Henry Moore Institute.  This award winning exhibitions venue, research centre, library and sculpture archive was set up by Moore in 1977 to encourage appreciation of the visual arts, especially sculpture. 

A Lesson in Sculpture with John Latham, the current exhibition addresses his visionary contribution to the study of sculpture, bringing sixteen works by Latham, spanning 1958 to 2005, into conversation with sixteen sculptures by artists working across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Material transformations. Matter, physics and process. Monuments to labour. Through these provocations British artist John Latham (1921-2006) rethought the limits and possibilities of art.

John Latham Shaun 1958 

John Latham What is Science 1989

I like John Latham a lot, but as my Art Historian points out, he is difficult. Tabove is unsettling and fascinating at the same time.

It is lovely and warm so we are able to enjoy our first picnic of the year on arrival at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP)

YSP seeks to provide a centre of international, national and regional importance for the production, exhibition and appreciation of modern and contemporary sculpture. Many inspirational elements combine here to create a unique and exceptional balance of art, heritage, learning, space and landscape.
 

The organisation has grown over the last 37 years: from humble beginnings with £1,000 to fund a small exhibition of 31 sculptures, to an organisaton which now contributes £5 million to the local economy and is responsible for five indoor galleries set in 500 acres of the 18th century Bretton Estate.

Within a national and European context YSP is unique, offering artists and visitors experiences and opportunities unlike anywhere else. ‘Great art for everyone’ has been YSP’s goal since opening to the public in 1977.

The revelatory nature of the Park’s setting opens up many possibilities and encourages exploration of the relationship between art and nature, stimulating engagement and adventure in the surroundings.

Sophie Ryder Crawling 1999