Mother and Child - Matthew Frere-Smith

Mother and Child - Copyright James M Lambert 2015

Name: Mother and Child
Artist: Matthew Frere-Smith
Location:  52°37'27.84"N  /  1°17'07.06"E  << Click link for image of location

Found just across Union Street from Jenny Lind Park is a row of three-story flats with terraced front gardens.  It's not a lovely building to look at, with its' boring brick facade and flat roof... and this may be the reason the flowing, modern, Mother and Child was commissioned by the Norwich City Council's architectural office under the leadership of David Percival to emblazon its' flank along the street.

Mother and Child - Copyright James M Lambert 2015

The mother holds her child up close to her face. Her head is distantly inspired by non-western models and contrasts with the flowing curves of her attenuated body. This was commissioned as the artist started to move away from conventional methods and subjects

Matthew Frere-Smith's name will be familiar to any artist who studied at Norwich, Great Yarmouth, or Lowestoft during the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.  After studying at Wimbledon and the Royal College of Art, he taught whilst completing numerous commissions and won an international competition in Milan in 1974.  His work can be seen at the Sainsbury Centre and many will have seen his elephant at the Elephant and Castle in London.  He died in 1999.