Judith Dean

Commissioned by the Jerwood Foundation in 2005

Ragley Hall, Warwickshire (2005 to present).

There are a few areas of wear to the patina on the raised portions of the bronze, particularly lower left. There are spots of dirt and debris, especially in the recesses, which is consistent with the exhibition of the piece out of doors. Please telephone the department on +44 0207 293 6424 if you have any questions about the present work.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

'I see this work as a kind of memorial / monument to a ploughed field, a reminder of something temporary which still exists...' (Judith Dean, 2005)

Throughout her artistic career, Dean has demonstrated the remarkable ability to respond uniquely to each different environment in which she finds herself creating works in a wide variety of media which reflect the multifarious circumstances of her surroundings. As such, it was her particularly innovative response to Capability Brown's extraordinary grounds at Ragley Hall and her proposal for Field that won her the third Jerwood Sculpture Prize in 2005.

Cast from a section of a ploughed field near Tetbury, and finished with a rich earthy patination, Field gives the striking illusion that a small area of Ragley Hall's lawn has been freshly ploughed. In researching her proposal for the Jerwood Sculpture Park, Dean became particularly interested in the complex relationship between the various man-made landscapes at Ragley Hall; from Capability Brown's grand designs to the simplicity of the surrounding cultivated fields, each demonstrates human intervention and yet each provokes quite different questions and statements about social history and tradition.