Swimmers, refracted light

A drawing of a swimmer in chalk on blue card

Swimmer

62x34cm
Drawing chalk on blue card
Roy Noakes Collection

A drawing of a swimmer in black ink on card

Swimmer

62x34cm
Drawing black ink on card
Roy Noakes Collection

An abstract relief of a swimmer cast in resin

Swimmer

140x110cm
Resin
Roy Noakes Collection

A relief of a swimmer cast in bronze

Swimmer

140x110cm
Bronze
Roy Noakes Collection

A relief of a swimmer cast in bronze

Swimmer

140x110cm
Bronze
Roy Noakes Collection

A relief of a swimmer cast in bronze

Swimmer

60x44cm
Bronze
Roy Noakes Collection

A relief of a swimmer cast in bronze

Swimmer

60x40cm
Bronze
Roy Noakes Collection

A relief of a swimmer cast in bronze

Swimmer

48x33cm
Bronze
Roy Noakes Collection

A relief of a swimmer in plaster

Swimmer

60x44cm
Plaster
Roy Noakes Collection

Two swimmers in relief in plaster

Two swimmers

60x44cm
Plaster
Private Collection

Four swimmer reliefs on separate panels cast in resin

Four Swimmers

280x240cm
Separate panels
Resin
Roy Noakes Collection

Light and Shadow

A painting of a seated figure

Seated figure

45x45cm
paint on board
1965
Private Collection

The seated figure has been an re-occurring theme in Noakes’ work since his student days.

During the 1980s the theme of an unshaded light bulb with its thrown shadow became an important addition to both the seated and standing figure.

A pencil drawing of a seated figure cast into shadow by an unshaded lightbulb

Seated figure with light bulb

65x50cm
Pencil on paper
Private Collection

A vibrant red and yellow chalk drawing of a standing figure cast into shadow by an unshaded lightbulb

Standing figure with light bulb

38x47cm
Chalk on paper
Roy Noakes’ Collection

Unusually, this is a preparatory sketch with the clear intention to mark an outline shape for a future clay relief. It is not the unshaded bulb but the thrown shadow that becomes an important feature of the final reliefs of standing figures.

A relief of a circle above a lightbulb

Light bulb

Resin
Roy Noakes Collection

The reliefs on the theme of shadows were the last reliefs Noakes made and could be viewed as ‘painting with clay’. The figures emerge from their surroundings and are initially joined by a shadow which starts as a separate entity then, as the series progresses, becomes attached to the figure. The unshaded light bulb, possibly viewed as a metaphor for hope and inspiration and the shadow as in Munch’s painting ‘Puberty’ a metaphor of impending sorrow.

A relief of a standing figure and a lightbulb cast in resin

Standing figure with shadow I

140×114 cm
Resin
Roy Noakes Collection

A standing figure cast in red resin

Standing figure with shadow I

130x114cm
Resin
Roy Noakes Collection

A standing figure cast in red resin

Standing figure with shadow I

130×114 cm
Resin
Roy Noakes Collection

A seated figure facing a bare lightbulb, relief cast in resin

Seated figure on a stool with unshaded light

140x114cm
Resin
Roy Noakes Collection

Drawing with clay: standing figure

A red drawing of a standing figure in chalk on yellow paper

Standing figure

60 X 36cm
chalk on paper
Roy Noakes Collection

In the 1980s and 1990s Noakes worked on series of drawings and relief sculpture nearer to ‘painting with clay’.

A walking figure drawn in red chalk on yellow paper

Standing figure

60x42cm
chalk on paper
Roy Noakes Collection

A relief of a standing figure cast in plaster

Standing figure

76x58cm
Relief in Plaster
Private Collection

An abstract relief of a standing figure cast in bronze

Standing figure

54x30cm
Relief in Bronze
Private Collection

Reading Jane Austin

A sketch of a woman reading, red chalk on paper

Debra reading I

31x40cm
chalk on paper
Private Collection

Themes such as Debra reading, Figure swimming in a pool,  Figure moving, Figure with a shadow were the focus of his sculpture.

A sketch of a woman reading, red chalk on paper

Debra reading II

31x40cm
chalk on paper
Private Collection

A sketch of a woman reading, red chalk on paper

Debra reading III

31x40cm
chalk on paper
Private Collection

A sketch of a woman reading, red chalk on paper

Debra reading IV

31x40cm
chalk on paper
Private Collection

A chalk drawing of a sitting woman reading

Reading Jane Austin

58x64cm
chalk on paper
Private Collection

A relief of a woman reading with the words Harrison, Austin and Dickens, cast in plaster

Reading Jane Austin

62x62cm
Relief in Plaster
Private Collection

Recasting work in wax

A sculpture of a head cast in wax

Head

36x25cm
Micro crystalline wax
Roy Noakes Collection

Noakes recast previous work in wax, attracted by the quality of light on the wax surface.

A recasting in wax of the head of Isabel Rawsthorne

Isabel Rawsthorne

40x30cm
Recast with  surround
Micro crystalline wax
Roy Noakes Collection

A wax bust cast in wax, mounted onto a wooden base

Head 

48x34cm mounted
Micro crystalline wax
Roy Noakes Collection

A figure cast in wax

Figure

44x44cm
Micro crystalline wax
Roy Noakes Collection