Featuring works by Lesley Barnes and Ross McAuley, playful sculptures and large-scale mobiles feature bold patterns and eye-catching colour combinations. These fashionable characters are dressed in extravagant headdresses, bulbous skirts, and oversized sleeves that are already proving a hit with visitors of all ages with hundreds attending the opening event at the weekend.
Barnes, an illustrator from Glasgow, Scotland, and McAuley a painter from Toronto, collaborated to create Fashion Play, a series of sculptural works that explores how form, colour, and shape can dance in space.
The YSP Visitor Centre is now adorned with vinyl illustrations and fabric hangings, immersing the visitors in a world of colourful hanging mobiles and sculptures posing on patterned plinths. The one-of-a-kind artworks are all for sale, with prices starting at £250.
Lesley and Ross said: “We were so honoured to be asked to have a show at Yorkshire Sculpture Park as we consider it to be the ‘home’ of sculpture in the UK. I think it gave us the confidence to develop our small-scale sculptural work and has pushed us to try some new approaches to our practice. ‘Fashion Play’ represents the largest collection of work we have ever produced for an exhibition. We really wanted to capture the sense of endless possibility and adventure that fashion can offer. We hope our combinations of shapes, colours and pattern leave visitors with a sense of joy.”
As well as all the exhibits available to purchase, a range of Fashion Play inspired merchandise is available in the YSP Gift Shops including children magnetic play kits, sticker sets, tote bags, pin badges, brooches and a limited edition screen print.
The show runs 12 July until 26 October 2025 at the YSP Visitor Centre. Entry to the exhibition is free with standard YSP adult admission, starting at just £9.50 for the day. Anyone aged 18 or under enjoys free admission to the Park. Parking at YSP is also free. For tickets go to www.ysp.org.uk