Untitled & Undated Drawing

I have quite a few drawings that are both untitled and undated. And though I knew his work better than most I cannot be sure exactly when this piece was made. However I suspect it is from the early period after Paul had completed his studies at the Royal Academy in the 1970's or early 80's. It measures 47.5 x 66 cms. Although stylistically from this period some of the forms look forward to works made a decade or two later, particularly the sphere that was revisited in the piece made on his Gloucester Cathedral residency - Puffball and for his Seaham & Isle of Wight commissions.

Puffball, marble, lead inserts, 30 cm. diameter, 2000

excerpt from leaflet 'Six Sculptures along the river Yar' 2002

Drawings

Paul Mason was a prolific draughtsman - not for the sculptures themselves (such drawings are few and infrequent other than occasionally for public art works) but more as a practice in its own right. In the 00's this practice took on a major role with a great deal of resulting work, some on a relatively large scale. Indeed the number and variety of works is such that identifying them all as regards titles and/or dates is difficult.

This is one such work - it measures 99 x 68.5 cms and is drawn in charcoal. It deploys frottage to convey part of the surface texture and uses a wild and relatively uncontrolled range of marks to suggest a whirling vortex. The imagery is such that it might date from the period 2000 to 2001 when Mason was Artist In Residence at Gloucester Cathedral - it bears resemblance to the sculpture Root.