Two men on a bench is one of the finest sculptural works by Giles Penny, the larger version of which stands in Cabot Square in Canary Wharf, London.

Formerly trained in painting, Penny often initiates his ideas from painting or lithography, which he then develops at a later stage into sculptures. This sense of illustration can be seen in the present work, where the artist beautifully simplifies the forms of the two figures, delineating their facial features through a series of carved marks and careful mouldings. Two men on a bench is wonderfully symmetrical with the two figures sitting side by side, looking away from each other, the soft organic curves of their forms, unifying the two figures. Cast in a grey patina there is something tranquil about the present work with the figures deep in contemplation.

Such treatment of the figure is recurrent in Penny’s work, with the artist utilising the human figure as a vehicle for his emotions. Manipulating and abstracting the human form Penny instils a great sense of expression within his sculptures, often portraying an innocent humorous quality to his work, as seen here.