The Yorkshire Sculpture Park has gained a new addition deemed “too popular” to stay on the North York Moors because of the erosion caused by the artwork’s many fans. Sean Henry’s Seated Figure is a three-metre-tall painted bronze sculpture of an anonymous man sitting on a traditional three-legged travelling stool.
It was moved from Castleton Rigg in the North York Moors over concerns that visitors flocking to see it were causing damage to the moors, leaving large amounts of litter and parking their cars on the verge nearby.
The work’s new home is a quiet area of the museum near Wakefield overlooking a valley, in line with the artist’s wish for visitors to “go and find him”.
Henry’s work often plays with scale. From a distance, visitors could mistake the contemplative “man on the moor” for a real person before getting closer and realising he is much larger than life. Henry’s figures, such as Walking Man in London’s Holland Park or Man with Potential Selves in central Newcastle, often seem distracted or thoughtful, inviting the viewer to reflect on and imagine the subjects’ inner thoughts and histories.
The sculptor welcomed Seated Figure’s installation on one of the highest points of the park, pointing out that the work was designed for the Yorkshire landscape. He said: “Sitting on a fold-out stool he is alert and appears to be on the edge of action, although it is deliberately unclear what he will do next. Like all sculpture, the work is a form of non-verbal communication, and I hope people come and see what he has to say.”
The statue joins more than 80 sculptures and installations spread out over 200 hectares (500 acres) of country park, including pieces from Yorkshire-born artists such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, as well as international figures such as Ai Weiwei and Jaume Plensa.
Clare Lilley, director of programme at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, said she was delighted to welcome Seated Figure to its new home. “We are used to caring for sculpture within the landscape and the challenges of significant visitor numbers. We hope that many more people will be able to see the sculpture in its new location,” she said.
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