Geometry of Fear

Geometry of Fear is a term coined by critic Herbert Read in 1952 to describe the work of a group of young British sculptors in a review of the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. The international response to the British contribution to the Biennale was extremely positive and became a moment of art historical significance. The works exhibited by the eight artists were created in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War and reflected the fear, states of mind and emotions of wartime through their alien, tortured and deformed figures. Outside the pavilion, visitors were greeted by a significant sculpture by Henry Moore, among others.