Biography
John Farnham (b. Perry Green, Hertfordshire, UK 1942) is a sculptor in stone, steel and bronze which he started casting from in the 1960s. His works are made at specialist foundries which enables him to make more time carving out idea. Farnham grew up next door to Henry Moore, his father was Moore’s carpenter and in 1965 Farnham became Moore’s full-time assistant until Moore’s death in 1986. In 1969 Farnham showed at Pace Gallery, then after further showings had a solo exhibition in 1973 at Old Bakehouse Gallery, Sevenoaks, the year he carried out his first major commission: Winged Figure, commissioned by Department of the Environment for Royal Air Force, Naphill and also gained an Arts Council grant. Further commissions included Life Form (1980), commissioned by Institute of Biology. He exhibited at the Guggenheim Gallery, London (1976) and exhibited extensively in the UK, including at: Camden Art Centre (1985); Salford Art Gallery, Manchester; Leeds City Art Gallery (1984); Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle; Middlesbrough Art Gallery; New Art Centre Sculpture Park (1988) and University of Hertfordshire Galleries, St Albans (2002). He taught at the Henry Moore Foundation, Leeds. Crescent Figure (1987) was seen by Eric and Jean Cass in the sculptor's garden, it is the second work they bought from him and gifted it to the Contemporary Art Society who donated it to The Harris, Preston in 2010.
