Michael Sandle (born 18 May 1936) is a British sculptor and artist. His works include several public sculptures, many relating to themes of war, death, or destruction.

Early and private life

Michael Sandle was born in

Weymouth, Dorset Weymouth is a seaside town in Dorset, on the English Channel coast of England. Situated on a sheltered bay at the mouth of the River Wey, south of the county town of Dorchester, Weymouth had a population of 53,427 in 2021. It is the third ...

. His father was serving in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

, and he was christened on HMS ''Ark Royal''. His family's home in

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymout ...

was bombed in the Second World War, and he grew up on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = " O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europ ...

, where his father had been stationed in 1942. From 1951 to 1954, he studied at

Douglas School of Art and Technology Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...

on the Isle of Man, and was then conscripted for two years'

National Service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...

in the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

Art career

After attending evening classes at Chester College of Art, he studied printmaking in London at the

Slade School of Fine Art The UCL Slade School of Fine Art (informally The Slade) is the art school of University College London (UCL) and is based in London, England. It has been ranked as the UK's top art and design educational institution. The school is organised as ...

from 1956 to 1959, where he was taught etching by Anthony Gross,

Lynton Lamb Lynton Lamb RDI, FSRA, FSIA (15 April 1907 – 4 September 1977) was an English artist-designer, author, lithographer and illustrator who was notable for his book jacket, poster, architectural decoration and postage stamp designs. Life and ...

, and

Ceri Richards Ceri Giraldus Richards (6 June 1903 – 9 November 1971) was a Welsh painter, print-maker and maker of reliefs. Biography Richards was born in 1903 in the village of Dunvant, near Swansea, the son of Thomas Coslett Richards and Sarah Ric ...

. He was also taught by

Andrew Forge Andrew Murray Forge (10 November 1923, Hastingleigh, Kent – 4 September 2002, New Milford, Connecticut, United States) was an English painter, academic, and art critic. After Leighton Park School, Forge studied art at the Camberwell School of ...

Lucian Freud Lucian Michael Freud (; 8 December 1922 – 20 July 2011) was a British painter and draughtsman, specialising in figurative art, and is known as one of the foremost 20th-century English portraitists. He was born in Berlin, the son of Jewis ...

, and Claude Rogers. After travelling to Italy and Paris, Sandle taught at various British art schools in the 1960s. Originally a painter and draughtsman, in the 1960s, he gravitated towards sculpture. From 1970 to 1973, Sandle lived in Canada, where he was a visiting associate professor at the

University of Calgary The University of Calgary (U of C or UCalgary) is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The University of Calgary started in 1944 as the Calgary branch of the University of Alberta, founded in 1908, prior to being inst ...

until 1971 and at the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

from 1971 to 1972. In 1973, he moved to Germany, and taught in

Pforzheim Pforzheim () is a city of over 125,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany. It is known for its jewelry and watch-making industry, and as such has gained the nickname "Goldstadt" ("Golden City") ...

and

Berlin Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...

. He became professor of sculpture at the

Akademie der Bildenden Künste The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (german: link=no, Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien) is a public art school in Vienna, Austria. History The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna was founded in 1692 as a private academy modelled on the Accademia di Sa ...

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( , , ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the German States of Germany, state (''Land'') of Baden-Württemberg after its capital o ...

in 1980. From 1976 to 1982, Sandle was a member of the faculty of engraving at the

British School in Rome The British School at Rome (BSR) is an interdisciplinary research centre supporting the arts, humanities and architecture. History The British School at Rome (BSR) was established in 1901 and granted a UK Royal Charter in 1912. Its mission is " ...

. In 1982, he was elected an Associate of the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its purp ...

, and in 1989 a full academician. After moving to Devon, he returned to London in 2003.

Works

Two of Sandle's smaller sculptural works—described as "anti-memorial"—are held by the

Tate Gallery Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the U ...

: "A Twentieth Century Memorial" (1971–78) (originally entitled "A Mickey-Mouse Machine-Gun Monument for Amerika") and one of the five casts of his work "Der Trommler" (The Drummer) (1985, cast 1987). His public works include: * a memorial (1985) to the victims of the crash of a US Army

CH-47 The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol. The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name, C ...

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's ...

during the city's Aeronautical Days on 11 September 1982 * a large bronze statue of ''St George and the Dragon'' (1987–88) for a public square in Dorset Rise, London * the International Seafarers' Memorial (2001), outside the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization on the

Albert Embankment Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albe ...

in London * decorative plaques for a new building, La Colomberie in

Saint Helier St Helier (; Jèrriais: ; french: Saint-Hélier) is one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands in the English Channel. St Helier has a population of 35,822 – over one-third of the total population of Jersey – ...

, under the

Percent for Art The term percent for art refers to a program, often a city ordinance, where a fee, usually some percentage of the project cost, is placed on large scale development projects in order to fund and install public art. The details of such programs v ...

scheme * the Siege Bell Memorial (1989–93), at the entrance to the Grand Harbour in

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 was ...

, Malta, for which he was awarded the Henry Hering Memorial Medal by the US

National Sculpture Society Founded in 1893, the National Sculpture Society (NSS) was the first organization of professional sculptors formed in the United States. The purpose of the organization was to promote the welfare of American sculptors, although its founding members ...

. The Siege Bell Memorial includes a thirteen-tonne bronze bell, "Santa Maria", one of the largest ever forged, which rings for two minutes every midday. Sandle also worked on an unrealised project for the

Battle of Britain Monument The Battle of Britain Monument in London is a sculpture on the Victoria Embankment, overlooking the River Thames, which commemorates the individuals who took part in the Battle of Britain during the Second World War. It was unveiled on 18 ...

with

Theo Crosby Theo Crosby (3 April 1925 – 12 September 1994) was an architect, editor, writer and sculptor, engaged with major developments in design across four decades. He was also an early vocal critic of modern urbanism. He is best remembered as a found ...

and Pedro Guedes in 1987. The plans for the 500 ft monument near

Surrey Docks The Surrey Commercial Docks were a large group of docks in Rotherhithe, South East London, located on the south bank (the Surrey side) of the River Thames. The docks operated in one form or another from 1696 to 1969. Most were subsequently f ...

include a hollow pyramid containing laser-generated holograms and sounds recalling

the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

, topped by sculptures of a

Heinkel Heinkel Flugzeugwerke () was a German aircraft manufacturing company founded by and named after Ernst Heinkel. It is noted for producing bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe in World War II and for important contributions to high-speed flight, with ...

bomber and a

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 ...

. He has exhibited at the 5th

Paris Biennale The ''Biennale de Paris'' (English: Paris Biennale) is a noted French art festival. History The 'Biennale de Paris' was launched by Raymond Cogniat in 1959 and set up by André Malraux as he was Minister of Culture to present an overview of youn ...

, the

Sao Paulo Biennial SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD * Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso * Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U ...

, and the 4th and 6th

Documenta ''documenta'' is an exhibition of contemporary art which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. The ''documenta'' was founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgartenschau (Federal Horticultura ...

Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2 ...

. Examples of his work are held by the

in London, the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 100 ...

in New York, the

Australian National Gallery The National Gallery of Australia (NGA), formerly the Australian National Gallery, is the national art museum of Australia as well as one of the largest art museums in Australia, holding more than 166,000 works of art. Located in Canberra in t ...

in Canberra, the Hakone Museum in

Hakone is a town in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had a population of 11,293 and a population density of 122 persons per km². The total area of the town is . The town is a popular tourist destination due to its many hot springs and views of ...

, Japan, and the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docume ...

. A major retrospective of his work was held at the

Whitechapel Art Gallery The Whitechapel Gallery is a public art gallery in Whitechapel on the north side of Whitechapel High Street, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The original building, designed by Charles Harrison Townsend, opened in 1901 as one of the f ...

in 1988 and then at the Wurttembergischer Kunstverein in Stuttgart in 1989. Sandle designed the Belgrano Medal in 1986, which shows

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

, with the inscription "Imperatrix Impudens" ("Shameless Empress"). He has been the recipient of a number of awards, including: * Abbey Travel Award * French State Scholarship * Rodin Grand Prize, Japan's most prestigious contemporary art award, in 1986,

Nobutaka Shikanai Prize Nobutaka (written: 信孝, 信教, 信隆, 延孝 or 伸貴) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese volleyball player *, Japanese neuroscientist and cell biologist *, Japanese politician *, Japanese s ...

, Japan * Major Prize 7th International Sculpture Exhibition, Hungary * DAAD Research Grant. He wa a selector for The Threadneedle Prize for painting and sculpture in 2010. Sandle was elected a member of the

in 1989, and became a Fellow of the

Royal Society of British Sculptors The Royal Society of Sculptors is a British charity established in 1905 which promotes excellence in the art and practice of sculpture. Its headquarters are a centre for contemporary sculpture on Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, London. It ...

in 1994. He resigned from the Royal Academy in 1997 in protest at the ''

Sensation Sensation (psychology) refers to the processing of the senses by the sensory system. Sensation or sensations may also refer to: In arts and entertainment In literature *Sensation (fiction), a fiction writing mode * Sensation novel, a Britis ...

'' exhibition and the inclusion of

Marcus Harvey Marcus Harvey (born 1963 in Leeds) is an English artist and painter, one of the Young British Artists (YBAs). Exhibitions Harvey has shown work internationally in many exhibitions including "The Führer's Cakes" at Galleria Marabini in Bologna ...

's painting '' Myra'', but rejoined in 2005. He won the Hugh Casson Drawing Prize for his Iraq Triptych, a drawing showing

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leag ...

and

Cherie Blair Cherie, Lady Blair, (; born 23 September 1954), also known professionally as Cherie Booth, is an English barrister and writer. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Tony Blair. Early life and education Boot ...

naked, exhibited at the

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition The Summer Exhibition is an open art exhibition held annually by the Royal Academy in Burlington House, Piccadilly in central London, England, during the months of June, July, and August. The exhibition includes paintings, prints, drawings, sc ...

in 2007.

Public commissions

* 1981: "Sculpture for a Trades School", Mühlacker, Germany * 1985: "Memorial to the Victims of a Helicopter Disaster", Mannheim, Germany (commemorating the victims killed when a US Army CH-47 crashed during the city's Aeronautical Days on 11 September 1982) * 1986: "Belgrano Medal—a Medal of Dishonour", British Art Medallic Society * 1988-92: Malta Siege Memorial, Grand Harbour, Valletta * 1987: "Woman for Heidelberg", Kopf Klinik, Heidelberg, Germany * 1988: ''St. George & the Dragon'', Blackfriars, London * 1992: "St Margaret", The Pearl Assurance Head Offices, Peterborough * 1997: "The Viking", Port Erin Arts Centre, Isle of Man * 2001: International Maritime Organization Seafarers' Memorial, Albert Embankment, LondonInternational Maritime Organization
* 2002: Memorial to Lifeboatmen, Marine Gardens, Douglas, Isle of Man

Awards

* 1986: Nobutaka Shikanai prize, 1st Rodin Grand Prize Exhibition, Utsukushi-gahara Open Air Museum, Japan * 1987: Prize winner in the 7th International Small Sculpture Exhibition, Budapest, Hungary * 1989: Korn/Ferry Award, Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition * 1995:

Henry Hering Henry Hering (February 15, 1874 – January 15, 1949) was an American sculptor. Early career He was a student of Augustus Saint-Gaudens at Cooper Union and of Philip Martiny at the Art Students League of New York. He then went to Paris where ...

Memorial Medal (for Malta Siege Memorial) National Sculpture Society of America * 2004–2006: Kenneth Armitage Fellowship * 2007: Hugh Casson Drawing Prize, Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition

Gallery

File:HeadquartersoftheInternationalMaritimeOrganisation.jpg, International Maritime Organization Seafarers' Memorial, Albert Embankment, London File:Sculpture 'St.George & The Dragon'-Dorset Rise-London.jpg, ''St George and the Dragon'', Dorset Rise, London File:Monument to Sir William Hillary, Douglas Promenade - geograph.org.uk - 38406.jpg, Monument to

Sir William Hillary Sir William Hillary, 1st Baronet (4 January 1771 – 5 January 1847) was a British militia officer, author and philanthropist, best known as the founder, in 1824, of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.. Life Hillary's background was Q ...

, Douglas Promenade, Isle of Man File:Michael Sandle La Colomberie Saint Helier Jersey.jpg, La Colomberie, Saint Helier, Jersey File:Malta 250915 Siege Bell War Memorial 01.jpg, Siege Bell War Memorial, Valletta, Malta File:Muehlacker-Sandle 12 021.jpg, Environment, Georg-Kerschensteiner-Schule, Mühlacker, Germany

References

External links

*
Michael Sandle at Brook Gallery

Michael Sandle at the Royal Academy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sandle, Michael 1936 births Living people Alumni of the Slade School of Fine Art English sculptors English male sculptors Royal Academicians