Hepworth Gallery and YSP - Wakefield

In 1976, sculptor, Barbara Hepworth personally curated, developed and produced a gallery in her hometown of Wakefield, and still to this day, it houses some of the best examples of sculpture in the country.

Personally, my favourite piece was a series of hanging mushrooms, by Serena Korda. This particular piece was called 'Hold Fast, Stand Sure, I Scream a Revolution', directly linking to how it was not only visually pleasing, but also a prime example of using audio and sound as an artistic outlet. Korda's inspirations here were the relationships between human and plant life, her use of mushrooms reflecting the whimsical, magical yet grotesque and poisonous outlook we have embedded into our consciousness. They attract and detract us in a balance similar to that our the natural world.

Moreover, there is also a great piece of art here, using light as the vessel. In a black room, projectors shine beams of light out at different angles and widths, causing cross sections and multiple brightnesses and opacities. As you walk through the room, the way the light bounces off you transforms the piece, constantly changing its arrangement and therefore, appearance.

Wakefield is also home to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, which is a fantastic and unique way of displaying art rather than the traditional gallery/museum. Its easy to lose a day there, its sheer size means that walking around can take hours, which isn't a problem when you're surrounded with the awesome works of talented artists like KAWS. The renown Micky Mouse inspired pieces are gigantic, and stand countless feet above the surrounding trees' let alone the onlooking audience. They seem so out of place amongst the fields and lakes, perhaps reflecting on how the sinister themed sculptures seem out of place on a Disney-character's body. For example one particular gloved figure shows innards and guts', with crosses over its eyes and stiches hiding its mouth.