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Introducing...The Sean Crampton Collection

Some of the many Sean Crampton Sculptures available to buy from The Sculpture Park

The Sculpture Park are delighted to announce our representation of the late Sean Crampton's artistic legacy - 'Nothing is Profane', a collection from his lifetime work - together with Sean's son, Dan.

Sean Crampton was an artist of enormous achievement and inspiration. Having overcome adversity throughout his life, Sean produced outstanding and original artwork that is much sought-after and admired. Over 40 sculptures from his 50+ year career are now available to view and buy at The Sculpture Park in Surrey, as well online via our website.

Sean Crampton...A Brief Professional Bio

Sean Crampton first studied sculpture during the 1930's in Birmingham's Central College of Art. He became a Professeur De Sculpture at the Anglo-French art centre in St John's Wood, London in the 1940's.

Sean had seventeen one-man shows in London's West End, and for more than 40 years was a member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors, including a five year period as President. He was a winner of the society's Silver Medal and Otto Beit Medal, and was also a member of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Art Workers Guild
He enjoyed working with religious themes throughout his career and his major works can be found in many churches and civic centres.

A Note From Sean's Son; Dan Crampton:

"In his Guardian obituary, my father was described as "an artist forged by war" and it is worthy of note that in winter 1944 he was being shipped back from Italy having lost his leg in an extraordinary act of bravery during the early stages of the battle of Monte Cassino.

He was already an artist when WW2 started, sculpting before the war from the age of 12, and after the war he continued, often experimenting with different genres and mediums, though phosphor bronze became his favoured material for the finished piece. Producing some fantastic and fantastical sculptures and other art throughout the rest of his life, he was an important figure in the art world from the late 50s until his death.

It is a pleasure to be working with The Sculpture Park to revitalise his name and exhibit his works again. When my Dad died much of his work was still in edition and we have also taken the opportunity to upscale some pieces to be able to show his work to is its best advantage.
Many works still available are from the work my father was producing in the early nineties, working from plaster of Paris, into Bronze. During this period his preferred style can be seen to have become an advanced methodology of the work he was doing in the late forties and fifties in many of the pieces. These pieces also show his incredible adaptability to the materials he was using and show elements of his stone carving style from the early fifties through his unique and ground-breaking technique of welding phosphor bronze (the 1st sculptor to truly explore this genre) to an amalgamation of those styles in these later cast pieces.

As well as pieces for exhibit there are many examples of my father’s work that are still for sale that were in edition when he died and pieces from the sculpture parks and our family's collection"

 

Sean Crampton Timeline:

1918 Born 15 March in Manchester
1924-26 Attends convent school in Stafford
1930-33 Attends Vittoria Street Junior Art School, Birmingham, learns skills of silversmithing and metalwork
1931 "Elephant & baby" (Mother & Child)

1933-35 Attends Central School of Art, Birmingham
1936 Visits Hamburg. Joins Territorial Army
1936-37 Works at Wolverhampton Concrete Co. -first experience of
working in plaster and concrete
1938 Moves to London

1939 Works in Paris with Léger, outbreak of war - early mobilisation - transfers to London Irish Rifles
1939-44 Active war service


1940 Marries Mary Banner
1943 Awarded the Military Cross for bravery during invasion of Sicily

1944 Seriously injured in Castelforte, Italy  - invalided out of war - leg amputated
Awarded George Medal for an extraordinary act of bravery
1945 Daughter Bridget born 

1946-50 Professeur de Sculpture at Anglo-French Art Centre, London
1948 Daughter Katinka born to Sonia Miller


1950 First one-man show at London Gallery, Brook Street (alongside Max Ernst and Sonja Sekula)

1951 Wins competition for Royal Armoured Corps memorial (never erected) 
"The Dacre Trophy"  for the RAF
Travels through French canals by boat

1952 One-man show at Ashley Gallery -first collection of exclusively religious works including
"Stations of the Cross" and an Annunciation. Than elected as Associate Royal Society of British Sculptors (RBS)
1953 Ashley Gallery Exhibition with Brian Robb
1954 National Society mixed Exhibition, Lazarus (plaster model lost)

1955 Marries Elizabeth Paine
Tank Commander: study for War Memorial Group is shown at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

1956 Daughter Nicolette born
Begins to show bronzes and mosaics regularly in private exhibitions and, later, at the Leicester Gallery, RSA, the Royal West of England Academy and The Bucknall Gallery, Birmingham

1959 Marries Patricia Wood
Moves to Brentford


1961 Persephone for Crowmallie Estate, Aberdeenshire
Daughter Harriet born

1963 Stone carving of Female Figure for LAMDA major pieces in 30th annual exhibition of the National
Society at the Royal Institute Gallery
1964 Elected as Fellow RBS
Son Daniel Born 

1965 Alwin Gallery opening exhibition -with Cyril Mann. 
Third Horseman of the Apocalypse -Devon awarded RBS Silver Medal for the best sculpture
of 1965 Second Horseman of the Apocalypse is shown at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

1966 "Madonna & Child "-St Mary's Church, Midhurst. Alwin Gallery Exhibition -with De Rosa and De Souza
1966-71 Elected President Royal Society of British Sculptors
1967 "Simon de Monifort"-Leicester County Hall
RBS exhibition -mosaics
Alwin Gallery exhibition
Christ on the Cross -Church of Our Lady,Tile Cross, Birmingham

1968 Alwin Gallery exhibition, four pieces for the Church of St Michael, Penn, Wolverhampton "Three Celtic
Kings" - Crowmallie, Aberdeenshire
1969 Commissioned for Chopin memorial statue to be sited beside the Royal Festival Hall, London
(never erected) 
Chopin Memorial Maquette is shown at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
Bronze cross & memorial for 4th Duke of Westminster - Ecclestone Church, Cheshire


1970 Alwin Gallery Exhibition -Figures on a Skyline elected to the Accademia ltalia -Gold medalist
Becomes a governor of the Camberwell School of Arts & Crafts
1971 Elected Member of The Artworkers' Guild "Three Judges" -Churchill College, Cambridge

1972 Alwin Gallery Exhibition -"Figure of Stability" 
"Figure of Stability" -Burgess Hill, Sussex
"Fountain" -Eaton Hall, Chester, for the Duke of Westiminster
"Lazarus"
1973 Elected to Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts
Risen Christ (& complete sanctuary furnishings) -St Vincent Convent, Mill Hill
1974 Alwin Gallery Exhibition -"Figures by the Way"
"Crucifix" -Church of St Cedd at Goodmayes, Ilford, Essex

1975 Accepted into the Roman Catholic Church
"Madonna & Child" -Convent of the Sisters of Mercy, Brentwood
1976 Alwin Gallery Exhibition - Bronze Feathers
"Madonna", "St Michael" & "crucifix" –St Michael's Church, Wolverhampton
1977 Moves to Wiltshire
1978 Alwin Gallery Exhibition -Just Horses
"Virgin" -St Mary's School, Wallasey
"Figure of Christ" -St Aidan's Church, Derby
Elected Master of The Artworkers' Guild
1979 Alwin Gallery Exhibition - Silent Music


1981 Alwin Gallery Exhibition -A Garden of Images
Publication: Humans Beasts Birds -Crampton, Hicks & Anderson
1982 Alwin Gallery Exhibition -Beasts and Superbeasts
1982-98 President of Calne Festival

1983 irst piece shown of Stations of the Cross - St Edmund's Church, Calne, Wiltshire
"Two Geese" - Goose Green, Altrincham
Civic Trust Award
Christ the King - Church of Christ the King, Wimbledon Park, London
1983-88 Chairman of Governors of the Camberwell School of Arts & Crafts
1986-7 "Stations of the Cross" installed Calne
Publication: Stations of the Cross -St Edmund's, Calne
Otto Beit medal 'for a sculpture of outstanding merit'

1988 Governor to the Court, London Institute


1992 "Bachelors of Avebury"
1993 Work is included in the first RWA Open Sculpture Exhibition
"Morning"
1994 "Judith" is shown at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition
"Auschwitz '41"
1995 Annunciation
A founding member of Calne Artists' Group
1996 "Ram"
"Arched Figure" 

1997 "The Harper"

1999 "Remembering"
"Relief Torso" - last bronze 

Dies 16 July 1999 in Calne 

Sean Crampton's available works can be found at The Sculpture Park and are available to view in person, or online. The Sculpture park is open every day 10am - 5pm.

For more information please email sian@thesculpturepark.com or call 01428 605453

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