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Stella Shawzin (South African, born 1920) Athlete I 211 x 201x 138cm (83 1/16 x 79 1/8 x 54 5/16in). image 1
Stella Shawzin (South African, born 1920) Athlete I 211 x 201x 138cm (83 1/16 x 79 1/8 x 54 5/16in). image 2
Stella Shawzin (South African, born 1920) Athlete I 211 x 201x 138cm (83 1/16 x 79 1/8 x 54 5/16in). image 3
Lot 44TP

Stella Shawzin
(South African, born 1920)
Athlete I 211 x 201x 138cm (83 1/16 x 79 1/8 x 54 5/16in).

Amended
12 September 2018, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street

£12,000 - £18,000

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Stella Shawzin (South African, born 1920)

Athlete I
edition 1/4
bronze
211 x 201x 138cm (83 1/16 x 79 1/8 x 54 5/16in).

Footnotes

Exhibited
London, Roundhouse, 2001. (A cast, possibly a different edition).
New York, Weintraub Gallery, 1994.

Literature
Weintraub Gallery, Stella Shawzin, recent sculpture, (New York, 1994), another edition, illustrated plate 38.


Over the course of her 60 year career, Stella Shawzin has devoted herself to the study of human forms, inviting viewers to engage with the work as a starting point for examining themselves. When asked about her artistic motivations, Shawzin responded:

"South Africa's complex society has been my inspiration... the broad spectrum of humanity is my concern...all the emotional impact of a lifetime [has gone] into my interpretation of the Human condition".

The present lot is one of a series of Athletes. The dramatic posture and exaggerated hands and feet of the monumental figure participate in creating a dynamic and expressive piece that depicts the precise moment the athlete breasts the tape in a final desperate bid for victory. By capturing the fluidity of movement rather than a static pose, the artist evokes the athlete's ceaseless striving, as well as a sense of the inner yearning from which physical excellence springs.

Saleroom notices

Please note: this lot is being sold in situ, and will be shipped to the successful bidder from Northern Ireland. Please contact the department for a shipping quotation.

Additional information