NEWS RELEASES
John Wincentzen - The Man Who Sculpts for Wedgewood
7 May 2008
Mention the name Wedgwood and immediately the mind turns towards finely crafted china: to exquisite vases, ornamental cameos and elegant tableware. Beyond the finery but less well known are the trained and skilled craftsmen and women whose painstaking sculptures are immortalised by Wedgwood to grace collectors’ homes.
John Wincentzen is one of Wedgwood’s finest sculptors and examples of his work for Wedgwood and also for Royal Worcester and Compton and Woodhouse are on show in this fascinating exhibition of the master sculptor’s art. Much of John’s work for the major potteries draws on Egyptian themes, and his Legends of the Nile figurines of the ‘heretic king’ Akhenaton, the sublime Nefertiti, and the ‘boy king’ Tutankhamun take classical Egyptian designs and motifs and combines them with the grace of a Renaissance statue to produce flowing and naturalistic poses. This interest in the Nile continued for Royal Worcester with the Lion of Ramesses group of figurines, that included the mightiest pharaoh of them all, Rameses II with his wife Nefertari.
Each figurine is created from start to finish entirely by John's own hands. This involves sculpting a highly detailed original master version from which moulds are made. Once the mould making is complete each individual figurine is cast, assembled, hand painted and finished. The detail is superb.
But John’s work does not stop at recreating ancient art, as he has also produced a range of police and military figurines, including Police Constables, dog handlers, SAS and service personnel – many of them inspired by John’s love of the Second World War era.
Examples of John’s painting work are also on show, often demonstrating some of the ideas and details that have found their way into the sculpture. As a member of the Guild of Aviation Artists, from whom he holds a diploma, John Wincentzen has exhibited nationally at various prestigious venues; as a Horsham resident of some 14 years, Horsham Museum is pleased to be able to stage this exhibition illustrating the range and breadth of his work.
The exhibition opens on Thursday 8 May and closes on Saturday 5 July 2008.
On Saturday 10 May, John Wincentzen will be at the Museum to answer questions about his work, from 2 to 4pm.
For further information please contact Jason Semmens, Assistant Curator.
Horsham Museum
9 Causeway, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1HE
Tel: (01403) 254959 Fax: (01403) 282594
Email: museum@horsham.gov.uk
Web: www.horshammuseum.org