Robert Adams (1917-1984) is best known for his abstract sculptural works in bronze. After leaving formal education aged 14, Adams joined an engineering company, where he was introducted to metalworking. From 1937-1946 Adams studied life drawing and painting at Northampton School of Art, then moved to a teaching post at Central School of Arts and Crafts, London where he used metal in his sculptures while developing more advanced welding techniques. During this ten year post, Adams met Constructivist artists Kenneth and Mary Martin, as well as Modernists including Constantin Brancusi and Henri Laurens, which in turn prompted the use of more simplistic shapes in his practice.
Adams gained international recognition for his sculptures, receiving a Rockefeller award from the Institute of International Education, New York in 1950 and exhibiting at the 1952 Venice Biennale alongside the ‘Geometry of Fear’ group. While this group employed harsh geometric line to symbolically explore the angst and anguish of man post World War Two, Adams instead focussed on pure abstraction, using lyrical and natural forms balanced together in space.
In 1962, Adams was selected for several commissions and touring exhibitions with the British Council and was subject to a solo retrospective at the Venice Biennale. His work is now held in major public collections including the Tate Gallery and British Museum, London.