The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

Paul McCarthy
T.G. Elyse, 2011
© the artist
Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth

LondonArt & Culture

The Naked Truth

A revealing look at how contemporary sculpture tackles the human form...

The Sunday Times art critic and documentary filmmaker Waldemar Januszczak definitely knows his onions and gets around more than his share of exhibitions, so when he enthuses about a show we’re inclined to believe it’s worth a look. The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre is, he says, “the most compelling selection of contemporary art I have seen for years” which is good enough for us. As the mammoth review moves into its final week, we take a look behind its study of the human form.

The exhibition’s subtitle The Figure in Contemporary Sculpture fills in the blanks – it’s a group exhibition and book looking back at the representation of the body during the last 25 years, taking in themes of history, voyeurism, sexuality and violence. The collection, curated from a wide range of artists’ work, ranges from contemporary takes on classical sculpture, such as Mark Wallinger’s contemplative Ecce Homo, to Jeff Koons’ family-friendly Bear and Policeman and Paul McCarthy’s explicit That Girl casts. The exhibition features 25 international artists, including Brits Ryan Gander and Yinka Shonibare MBE, and runs until 7 September. The hardback, which includes 137 colour photographs and essays by Penelope Curtis, Martin Herbert, Lisa Lee and James Lingwood and a foreword by Ralph Rugoff, is published by Hayward Publishing.

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The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

Jeff Koons
Bear and Policeman, 1988
© Jeff Koons

The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

John Miller
Now We’re Big Potatoes, 1992
© and courtesy the artist
Photo by Jochen Littkemann

The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

Isa Genzken
Untitled, 2012 © Isa Genzken
Courtesy the artist, Hauser & Wirth, London
and Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Cologne.
Photo: Alex Delfanne

The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

The Human Factor: The Figure in Contemporary Sculpture
is published by Hayward Publishing.
Special exhibition price £25 (RRP £30) shop.southbankcentre.co.uk

The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

Paul McCarthy
That Girl (T.G. Awake), 2012–13
© the artist
Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth
Photo, Genevieve Hanson

The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

The Human Factor: The Figure in Contemporary Sculpture
is published by Hayward Publishing.
Special exhibition price £25 (RRP £30) shop.southbankcentre.co.uk

The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

Maurizio Cattelan
Him, 2001
© the artist
Courtesy Maurizio Cattelan’s Archive
Photo, Paolo Pellion di Persano

The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

Frank Benson
Human Statue (Jessie), 2011
© the artist
Courtesy Sadie Coles HQ, London
and Andrew Kreps Gallery, New York

The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

The Human Factor: The Figure in Contemporary Sculpture
is published by Hayward Publishing.
Special exhibition price £25 (RRP £30) shop.southbankcentre.co.uk

The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

Maurizio Cattelan
Now, 2004
© the artist
Courtesy Maurizio Cattelan’s Archive
Photo, Andrè Morin

The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

Yinka Shonibare MBE
Girl Ballerina, 2007
Mannequin, Dutch wax printed cotton, gun
119 x 47 x 52 cm
© Yinka Shonibare MBE
Courtesy the artist and Stephen Friedman and DACS

The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

The Human Factor: The Figure in Contemporary Sculpture
is published by Hayward Publishing.
Special exhibition price £25 (RRP £30) shop.southbankcentre.co.uk

The Human Factor at The Southbank Centre, London

Ryan Gander
Tell my mother not to worry (ii), 2012 © the artist
Courtesy Lisson Gallery, London