Matt Rugg: The Many Languages of Sculpture

Examining for the first time the life and work of the sculptor Matt Rugg (19352020), Michael Birds impeccably researched text vividly charts Ruggs parallel careers as artist and teacher in the context of developments in creative pedagogy in Britain during the second half of the twentieth century, and their implications for practice and teaching today.

Highlighting the impressive range of Ruggs output, from his distinctive 'painted drawings' to large-scale metal constructions, and the unifying strands in his thought, this book skilfully draws together Ruggs work, ideas and inspirational role as an educator. Lavishly illustrated, it charts successive phases of Rugg's continuous experimentation with found industrial materials and form, and the subtle interrelationship in his work between two and three dimensions. Dr Harriet Sutcliffe's research into the Basic Course led by Victor Pasmore and Richard Hamilton at King's College, Newcastle, in the 1950s and 1960s provides fascinating insights into both Rugg's oeuvre and wider developments in British art practice and pedagogy.