Spotlight On: Jean Arp
8 August 2025
Jean Arp (1886-1966) was a German-French artist renowned for his contributions to modern art through sculpture, painting, poetry and collage. Born Hans Peter Wilhelm Arp in Strasbourg, then part of Germany, he became known as Jean Arp after moving to France. Discover more about him and the three sculptures he created during the 1960s and 1970s that are on display in our major ‘Forbidden Territories’ exhibition.
In 1916, during World War I, Arp co-founded the Dada movement – an anti-war, anti-art movement that rejected traditional aesthetics and embraced spontaneity, absurdity and the irrational. Arp’s contributions included abstract collages and poetry, often created through chance.
I allow myself to be guided by the work which is in the process of being born. I have confidence in it. I do not interfere. I let it take its course.
He began to be associated with Surrealism from the 1920s onwards. His sculptures, which were characterised by smooth, flowing curves, organic shapes and flat colours are some of his most recognised works. Demonstrating his mastery of form, they were inspired by natural elements such as leaves, shells and the human body, reflecting his belief that art should grow “as naturally as a tree grows”. They feel both modern and timeless.
Sculpture should walk on the tips of its toes, unapproachable and yet tender.
There are three eye-catching white sculptures by Arp in the Forbidden Territories: 100 Years of Surreal Landscapes exhibition. All three have been created from plaster and can be found in the ‘Biomorphic Natures’ section.
The first sculpture you encounter, if you’re working your way around the gallery in a clockwise direction, is called Landscape or a Woman (shown in our second image and below) and dates from the mid/late 1960s. The second is the largest of the three. Also dating from the mid-1960s, this work is titled Giant Pip (shown in our header and third images). The final sculpture, the smallest of the three, was made in 1974 and is called Garland of Buds (shown in our fifth image). All three sculptures were gifted to The Hepworth Wakefield by the Jean Arp Foundation last year (2024).
Like many other Surrealist artists, Arp saw nature as aligned with irrationality, a force he embraced in opposition to the mechanistic mass destruction of war. In 1931, he wrote:
Reason tells man that he is above nature, that he is the measure of all things. Thus man thinks he can create against the laws of nature and he creates monsters instead.
Arp was also a prolific writer and poet and throughout his career, remained committed to exploring the relationships between chance, order, and form. In 1954, he received the Grand Prize for Sculpture at the Venice Biennale – an award that confirmed his influence on post-war modern art.
To see Arp’s works on display, alongside paintings, sculptures and more by some of the most famous artists of the 20th century visit ‘Forbidden Territories: 100 Years of Surreal Landscapes’ before the end of Sunday 7 September. The exhibition is open from 10am-5pm Tuesday-Sunday and August Bank Holiday Monday. Entry is free and there's no need to book.