WORK OF THE WEEK: Laura Ford, Waldegrave Poodles, 2015

Laura Ford
Waldegrave Poodles, 2015
Patinated bronze
68 x 33 x 75 cm (each poodle)
2ft 2 x 1ft ⁹⁄₁₀ x 2ft 5 in.
Cast 1 of 6 + 2 APs

Laura Ford is well known for her portrayals of imagined, fantastical creatures with distinct and uncanny anthropomorphic qualities. The Waldegrave Poodles, an arrangement of three beautifully patinated bronze sculptures, was initially created for her 2015 solo exhibition at Horace Walpole’s gothic villa, Strawberry Hill.

The poodles draw directly upon Sir Joshua Reynolds’ 1780 portrait ‘The Ladies Waldegrave’, a large painting commissioned by Walpole of his three nieces: Lady Charlotte, Lady Elizabeth, and Lady Anna. Originally hung in the great parlour of Strawberry Hill, the Reynolds painting is now currently hanging in the Scottish National Gallery. As Laura Ford transforms these young women into pampered pooches, she simultaneously explores her concerns around gender and power, visibility and invisibility.

Pictured above: Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723 - 1792), The Ladies Waldegrave, 1780, oil on canvas. Courtesy of the National Galleries of Scotland.

After studying at Bath Academy of Art (1978 – 1982), Laura Ford received her MA from Chelsea School of Art. She has exhibited widely, including at the Camden Arts Centre, London; the Arnolfini, Bristol; the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh; The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Connecticut, USA, and Strawberry Hill, Twickenham (2015). Selected solo exhibitions include Reveal and Conceal, East Quay, Somerset (2022), Playing Real Pretend, Howick Place, London (2020) and most recently Under this roof, Bo Lee and Workman, Bruton (2024). She represented Wales in the 51st Venice Biennale in 2005. Laura Ford’s work is included in many public collections, including the Government Art Collection; the Tate Collection; National Museum and Galleries of Wales, Cardiff; Frederik Meijer Sculpture Park, Michigan, USA and the Gateway Foundation, St Louis, USA.

From the 7th until the 15th May, Laura Ford’s work will be shown at Sotheby’s, London, as a part of the exhibition Art For Your Oceans, curated by Artwise and in association with WWF. The exhibition will include works by 17 leading artists, including Anya Gallaccio, Antony Gormley, Nick Goss, Harland Miller and Emma Stibbon among others. Art For Your Oceans will be the first time an exhibition has been created using OCEAN INK®, the world's first sustainable and fully biodegradable water-based ink, produced by OCEANIUM in Scotland from sustainably farmed seaweed.