The exclusive display of two of Coper’s ‘lost’ murals, united for the first time in the same space and re-emerging to be appreciated with fresh eyes. Made during his time at Digswell Arts Trust, we will explore Coper's ‘architectural period’.
In early 1960, Hans Coper (1920-1981) made three large-scale and little-known murals for buildings across the UK, none of which remain in place today. One was commissioned for a Winchester military base and once looked out commandingly over the Hampshire countryside. But the future for this mural, and indeed all three, was not secure. Known for his distinctively sculptural, vessel-based forms, Coper was a British emigré artist at the forefront of ceramic experimentation in the 20th century. Widely respected and highly collected for his pots - a selection of which will be on display - the commissioned public artworks were a crucial factor in his creative development. For a limited time, we have been given exclusive permission to display two of Coper’s ‘lost’ murals, united for the first time in the same space and re-emerging to be appreciated with fresh eyes. Made during his time at Digswell Arts Trust, we will explore this experimental, ‘architectural period’ in the artist's career, and understand how these monumental works of clay came about.
The exhibition is made in collaboration with the AGC Museum, Winchester, the Crafts Study Centre, Farnham, and the Coper Estate, with additional loans from York Museums Trust and private lenders.