The foreword for this particular biannual event will be relatively short -- thank heaven for small mercies, I hear some say -- as there is only so much that I can write about Sophie that I have not already covered over the past 17 years and goodness knows how many brochures.

However, as always the work moves on. Her 2003 London show was titled 'Introspective', where the eponymous wire sculpture comprising four life-size figures -- standing, bending, kneeling and crouching -- wearing hare head masks was the centrepiece. These figures have tremendous presence, still yet powerful, contemplative, a group yet solitary. The masks first appeared in 1997 when Sophie created a play for children of Cleeve School during her museum exhibition in Cheltenham. 'Introspective' will be exhibited at the Victoria Art Gallery, Bath at the same time as this exhibition and Jon Bennington, the curator, has written the following about the piece.

"Sophie Ryder studied at the Royal Academy Schools and has been making sculptures in wire and bronze for over twenty years. Many of these works are monumental in scale and designed for outdoor settings.
The idea of making three-dimensional sculptures from wire was pioneered by Sophie Ryder. She begins with a metal armature, which she covers with wire of different thicknesses. To shape the wire she uses her bare hands and pliers, sometimes aided by a hammer. It is a very physical job and exceedingly tough on the hands.

This powerful new installation by Sophie Ryder has a disquieting quality. The four figures with hare heads were made entirely of wire, yet they share a human scale and are placed directly on the floor, rather than being elevated onto plinths. Each figure was modelled from the artist's own body, with the aid of photographs portraying the various poses. Each of the poses is inward-facing and static, creating a sense of physical and mental enclosure.

The feeling of containment is reinforced by the wearing of hare masks, indicated by the rusty wire used to make the heads. This feature marks a new departure in the evolution of the hare in Sophie Ryder's art: from animal to mythic creature, and finally to masked human being. In many ways it is a logical step, for the motif of the hare head, with its long ears suggestive of hair, has always contained an element of self-portraiture.

Perhaps each figure represents a different mental or emotional state. In the final analysis, however, the installation poses more questions than it answers. A large part of its beauty is the aura of mystery that it resonates, for this gives us leeway to draw our own conclusions".

'Introspective' is undoubtedly a seminal piece and it has influenced the majority of Sophie's work in both two and three dimensions since.
Other events of note since 2002 have included Ryder's highly successful exhibition at the Metropole Galleries, Folkestone which drew record audiences and which featured her 15 feet high bronze 'Dancing Hares' on the sea front. 'Lady-Hare Holding Dog', a new 10 feet high bronze, is now sited at the entrance to the Paddington Central development in west London while 'Conversation' was situated in the centre of Newbury during Sophie's residency at the 2003 Newbury Festival. As I write, her exhibition at the impressive Imago Gallery in Palm Desert, USA is under way and, I gather, has already been a huge success.

Click here to see details of Sophie Ryder's previous show (May 2002)

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