Simeon Barclay works across sculpture, film, and mixed media installation. His work explores the ways we navigate and perform identity. He draws on a range of influences from cultural and social histories, such as folk tales, British and popular culture, and the concept of masculinity.

Pittu Pithu Pitoo acknowledges the history of sculptors originating from Yorkshire and the dramatic rock formations found in the landscape that inspired artists including Henry Moore. The work’s man-made materials both mimic and contrast with these natural forms, making us think about what is real in our environment.

The scale of the work creates a barrier and the artist asks us to consider the role of objects in dictating how we view the world. The cockerel encapsulates the position of being on the outside, or periphery, whether it be physical, psychological, or both.

The sculpture’s form and title relate to an ancient traditional game from India that was played by the artist in his youth. Played by two teams, it involves a pile of seven precariously assembled stones and a ball. The artists reflects that these cluster or layers not only speak to the sediment that forms our environment but points to the way that as humans we accumulate knowledge.

Simeon Barclay (b.1975) was born in Huddersfield and studied at Leeds Metropolitan University and Goldsmiths, London. He has exhibited internationally in Amsterdam, Vienna, and New York, and has work in public collections including the Arts Council Collection.

Courtesy of the artist and Workplace, UK.