Reclining Woman by Elford Bradley Cox

Born in Botha, Alberta, he whittled and carved as a child. He pursued an academic education and graduated in 1938 from the University of Toronto with a B.A. degree, and taught landscapes at Upper Canada College for about eleven years. He turned to sculpture full time and was influenced by Henry Moore who created round smooth shapes in his studies of humans and who developed spaces or holes in his pieces to give an equally vital effects the structure itself.

Later Cox was influenced by Indian carved masks particularly those of the Iroquois. His “Face of the Moon” in the Art Gallery of Toronto was chosen by Dr. William S. A. Dale to illustrate this point in The Arts in Canada. Cox worked with metal rods making figures like his Greek god “Orpheus” which decorated the grounds of Victoria College in Toronto and was described by Pearl McCarthy as “. . . A charming airy fantasy . . . ,” reflecting Cox’s “sunny mood.” In 1959 the Globe and Mail noted his light and decorative works exhibited at the Roberts Gallery, particularly his wall pieces of enamelled diamond shapes, on copper, which indicated his fairly sure judgement.

Working in wood, (especially cedar) steel, and stone, he developed a forceful and expressive style as in his playground sculptures made from Indiana Limestone, for the Provincial School for Deaf Children at Milton, Ontario, and his seven ton seated woman on the campus of McMaster University. His largest project included 24 pieces of sculpture each made from five tons of Indiana Limestone, representing, in his own style, 24 Greek gods. They are located at the Georgian Peaks ski resort near Georgian Bay, and provide a winter and summer attraction. In the construction of these massive works he used sledge hammer, compressed air chisels and hand chisels. He lived in Toronto.

Source: "A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, Volume I: A-F", compiled by Colin S. MacDonald, Canadian Paperbacks Publishing Ltd, Ottawa, 1977