Robert Needham Sculptor by Mo.

It was another balmy warm evening, August 1st our launch date, when we walked into ArtLink, a registered charity along Princes Avenue, myself, Sally and Annie, in our newly printed www.thisisUll.com tee shirts. There to represent and report for our website on a duel sponsored gallery opening launching the Neighbourhood Frieze, check Avenues Online website, and East West. That's when I met Robert Needham. My first impression was that maybe he was a member of the clergy, presenting me with a warm smile and outstretched hand, smartly dressed, little thin maybe, definitely an interesting looking character but no dog collar. Robert works part time at ArtLink, on galleries, promotions and the like. At least he does at the time this is being typed, although he did mention it would be over soon.

It was during our fleeting conversations, between his attending to about 40 invitees needs for what turned out to be a delicious spread including wine and drinks generously supplied by Neighbourhood Frieze that I became intrigued by this shy, modest sculptor's life story and determined to capture some of it for us at www.thisisUll.com. Robert bravely accepted my invitation to show me his work, some of which is in Burton Constable Hall, a stately manor house where he has worked for the last two years as Resident Artist. I was also to be introduced to Dr David Connell, an Art Historian, Director at the Hall and lecturer for Hull University. This was going to work out as quite a day for yours truly, a wannabe artist (amongst other things) aka your fearless reporter from www.thisisUll.com. How cool is that?

So, with my digital camera, dictaphone, pen and paper we set off to Burton Constable Hall out of Hull, up the A165 North heading for Bridlington. Robert grew up in Barnsley, the son of a miner, whose grandfather ironically owned a foundry and more to the point encouraged the youngster to learn from the craftspeople, creating mining equipment, such as pit wheels, at the foundry. The process began with craftsmen making a wooden pattern, placed in sand with hot gasses passed through, turning the sand into a mould for the template to cast objects from.

Female Torso, 3 pieces. Sculpted from a life drawing, a broken mirror splintered the image.

The family moved to Herefordshire in his late teens, where he says "I was fortunate enough to get a place at Art College there and receive a Foundation in Art." Next came university, so I asked why he chose Hull to do an Art Degree. The University was not renown for Art Sculpture in the 1970's, in fact its course was under threat caught between a changing tide of opinion from conceptual art to object creation, and the introduction of new tutors, painters John Clarke, Dougie Muir and sculptor Simon Lewis had a big influence of Roberts work. continued below

Robert Needham Sculptor continued by Mo.

He maintains "My work is focused on the human figure, one of the strongest themes that runs through western culture. Aborigine art, for example, depicts animal, environmental, abstract and perhaps spirituality in its themes." "Life drawings have become a large part of my work and were often displayed at the Art Association studio in Hull, next to the Transport Museum. That was back in 1989, before I moved into a studio in Beverley. Clients range from public Art Commissions to private sales."

All that changed when Robert was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis after collapsing during a walk having noticed red splotches resulting from rupturing of the arteries and veins. "My legs felt heavy, stiff swollen and bloated. I had chest pains just before I fell to the floor." Even though some patients are left incapacitated, typically it takes 6 to 8 months to recover and return to a normal life. Robert's took three times that.

Robert lives with his mum now, still in Beverley, where her garage has become not only a home for his shining red Suzuki 250 (or Yamaha, was it?) but also his new studio, crammed with a million thoughts and creations, just as you would expect it.

I'm meeting Robert tomorrow afternoon, after his weekly blood checkups to go over this piece I've done on him. Hope he likes it. Mo.

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