‘These sculptures are concerned with violence, with one particular aspect, bomb-blast – the woman as a victim of man’s stupidity.’
The present work is part of Frederick Edward McWilliam’s series Women of Belfast, produced in response to the tragic bombings of the Abercorn Tea Room in Belfast on 4th March 1972. McWilliam left his home in Banbridge, County Down, when he was eighteen, but maintained a strong connection to Northern Ireland throughout his life. The media coverage of the catastrophic event provoked McWilliam to respond. The elongated limbs, highly textured surface and unsettling seated position represents the sheer force of the explosion. Bruce Arnold summarises in his October 1973 review for the Irish Independent: ‘caught, as in high-speed action photography, reacting to the shock.’ (Bruce Arnold, quoted in, Denise Ferran and Valerie Holman, The Sculpture of F.E. McWilliam, Farnham, 2012, p. 71)
The figures in the Women of Belfast series are faceless, maintaining a powerful sense of anonymity. This draws the viewer’s attention to the vulnerable and helpless nature of the figure’s body. In July 1973, McWilliam wrote, ‘As they have a common subject matter these sculptures have no titles – women affected by violence – women of Belfast.’ (F.E. McWilliam, ‘Women of Belfast’ in McWilliam at Banbridge, Banbridge, 2008, p. 98) The figure’s long delicate arms stretch in opposite directions, creating a poignant moment of stillness and reflection. This sculpture stands as metonymy for the victims of the bomb-blast. While they are rooted in the violence of The Troubles in the 1970s, they also continue to resonate universally for victims of war.
McWilliam was part of the significant generation of painters and sculptors in post-War Britain and Ireland whose work garnered international recognition. Like his compatriot William Scott, McWilliam developed his career in London, and associated closely with the likes of Terry Frost, Patrick Heron and Roger Hilton. His work moved between Surrealist and figurative; examples such as the present, one of the largest of the Women of Belfast series, reveals the power of his vision. His studio today can be visited at the FE McWilliam Gallery and Studio, Banbridge, Northern Ireland.