Hammersmith public art saved after campaign to restore it to former glory

A striking piece of post-war public art has been restored after a campaign to save it.

The Leaning Woman sculpture in Hammersmith is a well-known sight to people travelling into the city on the A4 but its framework had corroded and the outer layer of concrete was falling away when it was put on the Heritage at Risk Register in 2017.

A campaign by the Heritage of London Trust provided funding which was supported by public donations and money from Hammersmith & Fulham Council to pay for repairs as well as the addition of a display panel and the cutting back of undergrowth which blocked the view from the road.

The 1959 work was intended to be site-specific and leans with the flow of the traffic. It was built by Czech emigre artist Dr Karel Vogel and the statue was modelled on another east European refugee - Jutta Cardew who fled East Germany and studied art in London.

Local school children also helped with the campaign and the preservation work and were at the unveiling along with the model’s son Alex Cardew.

Dr Nicola Stacey, Director of the Heritage of London Trust, said: “We’re so thrilled to have helped restore this wonderful piece of post-War art with over 400 young people involved in the project locally, and such fantastic support from local residents and the Council. Most importantly she can be admired now by anyone passing on the A4 and will be for generations to come.”

The sculpture is one of several public art projects Heritage of London Trust is currently restoring.

The Trust will run a public conference on ‘Public Art: Aesthetics in the Public Realm’ on 15 November at the Royal Institute of British Architects.