LEEDS : Book Review: Mitzi Cunliffe: An American in Manchester

I studied at the University of Leeds and only half-glimpsed Man-Made Fibres in my three years there. The sculpture is perched on top of Clothworker's Building South, along the main campus thoroughfare, yet it is fairly modest and unassuming. The woven fingers and threads reside in a recess, also made of Portland stone, in the central section of the façade. Until picking up this book, I confess, I was unaware of the artist and that she designed the iconic BAFTA mask.

This title explores the work and life of American sculptor Mitzi Cunliffe during her 15 years in Manchester, 1949-64. Sumner guides the reader through Cunliffe’s Festival of Britain work, designs for industry, significant commissions such as the BAFTA Mask and Man-Made Fibres, cast pieces and the shift towards fibreglass ‘sculptural facings’ in her later career.

The text is peppered with extraordinary black and white images of works, both in progress in the studio and completed in situ, often accompanied by Cunliffe herself. She turns to the camera with a knowing smile as a team of 6 men struggle to carry a plaster Man and Technic from her home in Didsbury.  In another image she is posed carving a strand of Man-Made Fibres with a pneumatic drill, surrounded by planning illustrations. There is also a selection of colour plates which convey the ‘deep dusty pink’ of Root Bodied Forth and the materiality of a bronze cast Man-Made Fibres maquette. The breadth, intimacy and quality of the images can largely be attributed to Cunliffe’s daughter Antonia, who allowed the reproduction of her family archive.

Although there is naturally a focus on Cunliffe’s artistic output, the book is far more than just a list of works. Sumner captures a powerful sense of a motivated and tenacious character who re-established herself as a prominent artist in the UK under her married name, after a successful career in America as Mitzi Solomon. Cunliffe was well-known and respected in academic circles, a media personality (Sumner lists the impressive breadth of her appearances across both radio and television) and a savvy self-promoter who used professional photographers and newspapers to cover her artwork.

Little is mentioned of Cunliffe’s artistic philosophy in the book apart from the quote ‘I have always wanted my work to be leaned against, climbed on, rained on’. However, it seems that Cunliffe was in high demand and inventively worked within parameters set by clients, budgets and briefs.

A quick note on design - the cover has an alluring metallic sheen, like the cast bronze of the iconic BAFTA mask. Inside, flaps fold out to reveal textural rubbings from Cunliffe’s Cosmos 1 moulded wall panels – a lovely touch. However, I am less fond of the page design which makes some basic errors. The page numbers are nestled into the shadow of the seam and take a while to spot. Also, the large margins, although somewhat stylish on the recto, make the text feel clumsily off-centre on the verso. However, these are minor points in a wonderfully conceived and realised product.

This is an important and insightful book about a significant and overlooked figure of British post-war sculpture. To my surprise, it is the only publication about Mitzi Cunliffe which I could find. It is both meticulously researched and knowingly partial - Sumner acknowledges that there is still much work to be done, particularly regarding Cunliffe’s textile designs and projects in America. As a reader, it’s difficult to reconcile the artist’s contemporary acclaim in the region and her relative anonymity today. However, as the Introduction notes, there has been increasing recognition of Mitzi Cunliffe in recent years and her work has been included in exhibitions by the University of Leeds, BAFTA, Historic England and The Henry Moore Institute. Still, there is certainly cause for a hardback book with further research, large photographs and colour drawings – it just needs to be commissioned and funded.

Most importantly, Sumner reminds us that Mitzi Cunliffe is on our doorsteps, her work scattered across the cities of Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool, and even suggests a trail of surviving pieces in the appendix. Yes, I’ve already booked my train tickets.

Mitzi Cunliffe: An American in Manchester, by Ann Sumner, 2021

Flo Armitage-Hookes is Co-Lead of Leeds Modernist and Publishing Coordinating at RIBA