Jason Boyd Kinsella’s poetic tribute to Langston Hughes has been installed in central London, just opposite Tate Britain
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Kinsella is widely acclaimed for his painterly style that approaches subjects from a multitude of geometric perspectives, and his new sculpture Langston offers a psychological portrait of the poet Langston Hughes.
Beyond poetry, Hughes was a prolific novelist and activist, and a major figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Upon discovery of Hughes’ work as a student of poetry, Kinsella was gripped by its potency, recalling: “Many poets concerned themselves with love, beauty and nature… but Hughes had an ability to use words in a way that can transport you to another place and time. There’s a powerful visuality in his work.”
The bronze sculpture Langston pays homage to Hughes, casting the inner world of the poet’s mind in a protean mix of geometric shapes, testament to the strength and versatility of the poet’s written works.
Kinsella conceived the piece first through preliminary sketches and studies on paper, before enhancing them through 3D software and casting the final design in bronze. Public audiences will be left to appreciate the large-scale portrait that is both conceptually enticing and technically accomplished.
The display, part of the Borough of Westminster’s City of Sculpture programme, is installed on London’s Riverside Walk Gardens in Millbank in a privileged position between Tate Britain and the Thames, alongside Henry Moore’s Locking Piece which was gifted to Tate in 1968.
BIOGRAPHY
Jason Boyd Kinsella (b. 1969) is a Canadian artist currently based in Oslo, Norway, with a degree from Bishop’s University, Quebec, Canada (1993). After a 30 year hiatus Kinsella began painting again in 2019 and since then his practice has evolved into a deep exploration of mankind’s psychological composition. The focal element of his artistic expression is the deconstruction of his characters’ personality traits using distinct geometric units that represent their individuality according to the Myers-Briggs test. Blending the familiarity of Old Masters’ compositions with something altogether new, his contemporary aesthetic and methods shine through, unsettling preconceived narratives.