Eduardo Paolozzi (1924-2005)
Crash Head / CIM II, 1970
Crash Head / CIM II, 1970
Bronze with a gold patina
37 cms high
1970
Provenance
Collection of Geoffrey Harley (antiques dealer based in Wiltshire)
Exhibited
'Eduardo Paolozzi', Tate, London, 1971 (another cast illustrated)
'Eduardo Paolozzi', Kestner-Gesellschaft, Hannover, 1974-5, pl. 28 (another cast illustrated)
'Eduardo Paolozzi', Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, Arts Council of Great Britain, 1976, catalogue no.10, p.49 (another cast illustrated); this exhibition later went on tour to Scottish Arts Council Gallery, Edinburgh: Turnpike Gallery, Leigh; Municipal Art Gallery, Wolverhampton; Ferens Art Gallery, Hull; Art Gallery, Southampton; Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff and Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, pl.3 (another cast illustrated)
'Eduardo Paolozzi, Mythologies; A Retrospective Survey', The Scottish Gallery, London, 1900, catalogue no.3, p.8 (another cast illustrated)
This work is accompanied by a mounted photograph, signed, numbered 4/10 and inscribed CIM II by the artist.
One sculpture from the edition of 10 is held in the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland (bequeathed by Gabrielle Keiller in 1995); another is held in the collection of The Stirling Smith Art Gallery & Museum (gifted by The Scottish Arts Council in 1988).
Towards the end of the 1960s Paolozzi had become increasingly disillusioned with Pop Art and he sought to distance himself from the movement. Influenced by the science fiction writings of his friend, the writer, J.G. Ballard, he turned his attention to darker subject matter and began to explore a fascination with car crashes, leading to the creation of sculptures such as 'Crash Head'. These sculptures revisited a theme of earlier creations in the 1950s, including 'Mr. Cruikshank', which was inspired by the head of a crash dummy.