The Sunbathers
sunbather originally titled “sunbathing group” sculpture hungarian artist peter laszlo peri made festival britain festival closed sculpture disappeared presumed lost rediscovered restored sculpture initially put display royal festival hall south bank put display london waterloo major railway terminus hungarian born artist peter laszlo peri invited produce sculpture festival britain national exhibition fair held south bank river thames london first proposal titled reflection deemed big site eventually contributed sunbathing group two reclining figure mounted directly wall seen viewer inverted orientation peri often used termed “horizontal sculpture” accordance viewer relationship work root disorientating aerial perspective new vision photography constructivist visual theory fullsize concrete work made pericrete continuation artist’s constructivist interest use new material mounted wall entrance festival site south bank gate york road near waterloo station dylan thomas mentioned sculpture essay written visited festival linked terracotta man woman flydefying gravity elegantly hurrying wc wall sculpture disappeared exhibition closed believed lost historic england held exhibition lost art work rediscovered piece clarendon hotel blackheath former proprietor hotel joseph odonnell purportedly bought work auction although record publicly commissioned sculpture fell private hand mr o’ donell displayed previous hotel westcombe park hotel later moving new hotel blackheath displayed patio hotel garden used childrens climbing frame work deteriorated later removed public display campaign restore sculpture raised £ day contribution heritage lottery fund nesta department culture medium sport work restored tessa jackson jackson sculpture conservation ltd restoration returned southbank centre displayed public royal festival hall three year august sculpture put public display five year london waterloo major railway terminus new site closer demolished wall sculpture mounted festival britain lost festival britain sculpture found historic england april festival britain sculpture return london waterloo historic england august