Gerald Gladstone
Morning Flight, 1997
Painted steel, 597 x 290 x 290 centimetres
Gerald Gladstone's geometric sculpture presents a striking model of interdependence. In Morning Flight, we are presented with a complex balancing act.
Each element retains an individual shape and character while remaining inseparably linked with a larger, more complicated surrounding environment. The work simultaneously praises and humbles as it illustrates that humanity is a small but absolutely necessary part of this universal shape. Gladstone's art represents fascination with the idea of infinite natural order.
About Gerald Gladstone
He was born in 1929 in Toronto, Ontario. In the early years of his education, he worked in commercial advertising, eventually reaching the position of art director with McLaren Advertising.
In 1959, with the assistance of several major Canadian grant awards, Gladstone left the business world in order to "advertise the spirit" in the world of fine art. He was resident sculptor at the Royal College of Art in London, England. While he was there, he met Henry Moore, who became his mentor and friend. Gladstone's work has been exhibited in major galleries across North America and Europe.
Some of his noteworthy commissions include the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Compton, California, and three major works for Expo '67 in Montreal. He was a lecturer at the University of Toronto and was called upon to judge other sculptures under commission for private corporations and organizations.
Gerald Gladstone passed away on March 7, 2005, in Toronto. He was 76.