Tony Cragg

Sculpture and drawing

Tony Cragg is one of the most important sculptors of our time. Tony Cragg‘s work testifies to a method of constantly revisiting and further developing questions of figuration and their sculptural realisations. His sculptures can be described as visual appropriations of forms and structures from our complex living environment. He derives both the conception of content and the diverse vocabulary of forms from his examination of organic life forms and microbiological structures as well as from his work with mundane everyday materials and modern technology.

 

The continuity and validity of his work is based on fundamental questions about the relationship between body, material, object and space, which Tony Cragg has been dealing with continuously for years. The diversity of materials and sculptural techniques exemplifies the encyclopedic oeuvre of the artist, whose extraordinary significance was impressively acknowledged by the award of the Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture in 2007.

 

Born in Liverpool in 1949, Tony Cragg studied at Gloucestershire College of Art and Design in Cheltenham from 1968 to 1973 and at Wimbledon School of Art until 1977. In 1988, Tony Cragg represented Great Britain at the 43rd Venice Biennale and won the Turner Prize in the same year. In 2016 he was made a Knight Bachelor of the British Empire. His work has been recognised in over 70 solo exhibitions worldwide in the last 10 years alone, including at the Musée du Louvre, Paris, Hermitage St Petersburg, CAFA Museum Beijing and Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as outdoor exhibitions at Boboli Gardens, Florence and Yorkshire Sculpture Park, UK. The artist has lived and worked in Wuppertal, Germany since 1977. Buchmann Galerie has represented the artist since 1983.

Tony Cragg, photo: Jim Rakete, 2018
Tony Cragg, photo: Jim Rakete, 2018

Selected Works

Tony Cragg, ‘Runner, 2015’, Bronze
Runner, 2015
Bronze
Tony Cragg, ‘Stack’, 2019, Bronze
Stack, 2019
Bronze
Tony Cragg, ‘Tommy’, 2013, Bronze
Tommy, 2013
Bronze
Tony Cragg, ‘Points of View’, 2014, Bronze
Points of View, 2014
Bronze
Tony Cragg, ‘Near Relatives’, 2022, Stainless steel
Near Relatives, 2022
Stainless steel
Tony Cragg, ‘Incident Seed’, 2022, Corten steel
Incident Seed, 2022
Corten steel
Tony Cragg, ‘Willow’, 2014, Bronze
Willow, 2014
Bronze
Tony Cragg, ‘Runner’, 2017, Wood
Runner, 2017
Wood
Tony Cragg, ‘A Head, I Thought’, 2011, Wood
A Head, I Thought, 2011
Wood
Tony Cragg, ‘Untitled’, 2023, Stainless steel
Untitled, 2023
Stainless steel
Tony Cragg, ‘Untitled (Hedge Berlin I)’, 2018, Solid steel
Untitled (Hedge Berlin I), 2018
Solid steel

News

Gallery Exhibitions

Publications

Tony Cragg

Born 1949 in Liverpool. Lives and works in Wuppertal, Germany.

Education
2009 - 2013 Director of Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
2002 Professorship for sculpture at UdK Universität der Künste, Berlin 
Member of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin
1994 Member of the Royal Academy, London
1979 Professor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
1973 - 1977 Royal College of Art
1968 - 1972 Gloucestershire College of Art and Design, Cheltenham und Wimbledon School of Art
1966 – 1968 Lab Technician at the National Rubber Producers Research Association
Grants and Awards
2017

Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award, International Sculpture Center

2016

Knight Bachelor of the British Empire

2013

Chaire de Création Artistique, Collège de France

Rheinischer Kulturpreis, Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Rheinland

2012 Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1st Class
Artist's Medal of Honor of the Hermitage, Russia
2009 Honorary doctor of the Royal College of Arts
2007 Praemium Imperiale for Sculpture, The Japan Art Foundation
2005 1st Prize for Best Sculpture, 2. Biennale Beijing
2002 Commander of the Order of the British Empire
2001 Honorary Fellowship John Moores University, Liverpool
Shakespeare-Prize
1992 Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres
1989 Von-der-Heydt-Prize, Wuppertal  
1988 Turner Prize
British
 Representative at the 43rd Venice Biennale

Solo Exhibitions

2024
2023
2021
2019
2018
2017
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979

Group Exhibitions

2024
2023
2018
2017
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
1975
Selected Publications
2017

Tony Cragg – Works on Paper, Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, 2017

Tony Cragg - Roots & Stones, Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA),Tehran 2017 (exhib. cat.)

Tony Cragg: A Rare Category of Objects: Yorkshire Sculpture Park 2017 (exhib. cat.)

2016 Tony Cragg - Parts of the World, Von der Heydt Museum Wuppertal, Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, 2016
2012

Tony Cragg, against the grain. Ernst-Barlach-Haus - Stiftung Hermann F. Reemtsma, Hamburg 2012 (exhib.cat.)

2011

Tony Cragg - Figure Out Figure In, Edition Dilecta, Musée Du Louvre Éditions
Anthony Cragg - Dinge im Kopf/ Things on the Mind. Wienand, Stiftung für Kunst und Kultur e.V. Bonn

Tony Cragg - Seeing Things, Nasher Sculpture Center 2011 (exhib.cat.)

Tony Cragg - Sculptures and Drawings. National Galleries of Scotland (exhib.cat.)

2010 Tony Cragg - in 4D, Texts by Valerio Dehò, Silvio Fuso, Jon Wood. Ca'Pesaro, Venice and kunst|Meran, Marsilio Editori s.p.a. Venedig (exhib.cat)
2009 Second Nature, Staatl. Kunsthalle Karlsruhe (Ed.), with texts by Kirsten Claudia Voigt, Jon Wood, Christa Lichtenstern, Dumont 2009 (exhib.cat)
2008 “Henry Moore - Werk-Theorie-Wirkung, with introduction by Tony Cragg, 
editor and publisher Christa Lichtenstern, 
“Tony Cragg” S. 365-374, 
Deutscher Kunstverlag München; Berlin, 2008 (english/german)
“Tony Cragg >< F.X.Messerschmidt” with texts by Agnes Husslein-Arco, 
  Michael Karpf, Eva Maria Stadler and an interview Tony Cragg and 
  Jon Wood, Belvedere, Wien
2007 “Tony Cragg Akvereller / Watercolours”, with texts by Bera Nordal and 
 Kay Heymer, Hrsg. nordiska akvarellmuseet, Skärhamn/Sweden
2006 “Tony Cragg, In and Out of Material”, Das Potential der Dinge, with Interview by Jon Wood, Texts by Tony Cragg, Essays by Christoph Brockhaus, Robert Kudielka, Christian Schneegass, Hrsg. Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Verlag der Buchhandlung Walter König, Köln (exhib.cat.)
2005 “UdK Berlin: Professorinnen und Professoren der Fakultät Bildende Kunst”, Karl-Hofer-Gesellschaft e.V., Berlinische Galerie, Berlin, (exh.cat.)
2003 “Tony Cragg, Signs of Life”, Selected Essays from 1981 to 2003 Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, 2003, monography incl. works from 1971 – 2003, 552 pages, (exh.cat.)
2001 “Anthony Cragg”, Essay by Peter Anselm Riedel ( German / English ) Hrsg.: Ingrid Mössinger und Beate Ritter, Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz June 24 – September 2, 2001, Published at E.A.Seemann Verlag, Chemnitz 2001, (exh.cat.)
2000 “A new thing breathing, recent work by Tony Cragg”, Various essays e.g. Lewis Biggs, Tate Gallery Liverpool March 17 – June 4, 2000, Tate Gallery Publishing Ltd
1999 “Tony Cragg, New Works”, Photoessay by Philip Sayer and introduction, interview by Isabel Carlisle, Royal Academy of Arts London, (cat.)
“Tony Cragg, Atelier: Wuppertal, Plastiken und Zeichnungen der 90er Jahre”, Essay by Sabine Fehlemann, Josef Beutelmann, Katja Blomberg and Ulrich Krempel, Von der Heydt-Museum Wuppertal May 30 – July 18, 1999, (exh.cat.)
1998 “Anthony Cragg”, Essays by Helmut Friedel, Susanne Gaensheimer and Ulrich Wilmes and selected writings from 1981 bis 1998, Lenbachhaus München July 15 - September 20, 1998
1997 “Tony Cragg”, Interview by Yoshihisa Otani, Masahiro Aoki and Tony Cragg Hrsg.: Tomoaki Kitagawa, Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, March 25 – June 22, 1997, (exh.cat.)
“Tony Cragg, Sculptures on the Page”, Whitechapel Art Gallery London, January 10 – March 9, 1997, The Henry Moore Institute, Leeds
1996 “Tony Cragg”, Essays by Germano Celant and Anna Costatini, Edizioni Charta, Milano, (cat.)
“Tony Cragg”, Essays by Catherine Grenier, Daniel Soutif, interview by Heinz-Norbert Jocks , Centre Georges Pompidou Paris, January 24 until April 15, 1996, Published at Éditions du Centre Pompidou, (exh.cat.)
1995 “Tony Cragg”, Essays by Carmen Alborch, José Guirao, Félix Duque, Heinz Norbert Jocks and Tony Cragg, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, (exh.cat.)
1994 “Tony Cragg, Early Forms”, Essay by Armin Wildermuth, Galerie Buchmann, Basel, (cat.)
1993 “Tony Cragg, Dessins/ Zeichnungen”, Essay and interview by Armin Wildermuth Galerie Buchmann, Basel
1990 “Tony Cragg, Eine Werkauswahl”, Essay by Armin Wildermuth Galerie Buchmann, Basel
“Tony Cragg”, Essays by Maria Müller and Ulrich Krempel, Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf, November 18, 1989 – January 7, 1990, (cat.)
1988 “Tony Cragg”, Essays by Catherine Lampert, Demosthenes Davvetas and Henry Meyric Hughes , 43.Biennale di Venezia June 26 – September 25, 1988, 
The Visual Arts Department The British Council 1988, (cat.)
1987 “Tony Cragg”, Essay and interview by Lynne Cooke, Hayward Gallery, South Bank Centre, London, March 5 – June 7, 1987, (cat.)
1986 “Tony Cragg, Skulpturen”, Texts by Tony Cragg, Demosthenes Davettas, Carl Haenlein , Kestner Gesellschaft Hannover, December 20, 1985 – February 9, 1986, (cat.)