Palette (for Joseph Beuys) , 1986

One of the most prominent sculptors in the world, Tony Cragg is renowned for his liberal use of a wide range of materials throughout his art. Cragg's works can vary from swirling abstractions - as seen in his Point of View piece - to political statements; Britain Seen From the North is one of his earliest outputs and is comprised of various scrap materials - the piece outlines the island of Britain and depicts a figure observing it – this figure is said to represent Cragg viewing his nation as an outsider, a theme that relates to Britain under Thatcher’s reign as Prime Minister. Materials used in Cragg’s sculptures range from wood to Kevlar to plastic – his work is designed with the idea of challenging pre-existing notions regarding certain materials; Early Forms makes use of various different containers, all of which are manipulated and assembled to take on a new form and present the viewer with a different perspective. (Artist website)