British Pathe

C/U of a bronze or metal sculpture by Reg Butler; 'Figure in Space' - a female figure in a diving or flying position, attached by a metal wire to a revolving circular base. M/S and C/U of a standing female figure with head lowered and no arms, 'Study of a Figure Bending'. C/Us of another 'Figure in...

C/U of a bronze or metal sculpture by Reg Butler; 'Figure in Space' - a female figure in a diving or flying position, attached by a metal wire to a revolving circular base. M/S and C/U of a standing female figure with head lowered and no arms, 'Study of a Figure Bending'. C/Us of another 'Figure in Space'; this one is floating through a grid of metal wires. All are seen in exhibition at Hanover Gallery, London.

C/U of Reg Butler wearing protective goggles and welding another 'Figure in Space' sculpture at his home in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire; he stops welding, takes off his goggles and looks at his work. M/S of him sitting before the sculpture - suspended above - in his garden studio as he adjusts his acetylene torch; C/Us as he welds another metal pole to the design. M/S as he finishes welding; gets up and we see the sculpture is suspended from a large metal tripod; he hoists it high and walks off. Commentator tells us in 1953 "he became internationally famous with his award winning 'Unknown Political Prisoner' which aroused so much controversy".

M/S of RB's large country house; on the lawn before it is a figure on a pedestal, 'Circus'; RB walks up to it. C/Us as he starts to chip away at this female plaster figure with a small pickaxe; we can see similar figures in the background; he then applies more plaster to the figure and smoothes it with his hands. Commentator says "His time is spent between the relaxing concentration of the preliminary work in plaster done in his garden studio, and the massive physical effort of his work in the foundry where the bronze figures are cast"

M/S of the finished 'Circus' sculpture in bronze, silhouetted against a white wall where a charcoal drawing of a figure is hanging; the sculpture is then illuminated; C/U of the figure's head.

Note: there are three news articles on file on RB - one mentions the controversy of 'Unknown Political Prisoner': described as a few bits of twisted wire. When exhibited at The Tate Gallery a Hungarian artist smashed it "to draw attention to a mockery trading in the name of art" - oo-er!