Midas Head

Frink's childhood experiences of the Second World War became central to her work, with the themes of both masculinity and vulnerability preoccupying her throughout her career. Although motifs of soldiers and warriors wielding shields and armour can be found in Frink’s work as early as the 1950s, it was her discovery of the Riace bronzes in the 1980s that inspired a body of work that more directly references the soldiers of Ancient Greece. These ancient bronzes, that were found in the sea off the coast of Italy, inspired some of the most recognisable and sought after works of her oeuvre, including Midas Head.

Conceived in dialogue with her stepson Mark Csáky’s television programme, The Midas Touch, the present work stands as an exploration of history and culture, as well as a study into her beloved medium of bronze.

Stephen Gardiner describes, 'Significantly, in view of her new enchantment with the Pacific Region, her mask had a distinct resemblance to those found in New Guinea on Mabuiag Island north of Australia; its form and enigmatic look suggested the East, while its textured finish was more Aboriginal. Certainly [Frink] had never created anything in the least like it before, and, after it was cast ..., she began on the colouring with Ken Cook, trying out all the colours she could think of, different for each casting' (S. Gardiner, Frink, London, 1998, p. 264).