Mitzi Solomon Cunliffe January 1st 1918 December 30th 2006
American born, resident of Didsbury Manchester, sculptor and designer, responsible for, amongst other things, the BAFTA mask.
Her first large scale commission was two pieces for the Festival of Britain in 1951. One, known as Root Bodied Forth, shows figures emerging from a tree, and was displayed at the entrance of the Festival. The second, a pair of bronze handles in the form of hands, adorned the Regatta Restaurant. She created a similar piece, in the form of knots, in 1952 which remains at the School of Civic Design at Liverpool University, along with The Quickening in the rear courtyard.
Cunliffe developed a technique for mass-producing abstract designs in relief in concrete, as architectural decoration, which she described as sculpture by the yard. She used the technique to decorate buildings throughout the UK, but particularly in and around Manchester.
Particularly this example of four modular panels named Cosmos, set in the wall of the student halls of residence in Owens Park, Fallowfield, Manchester.
Modern Mooch 
Mitzi Cunliffe was commissioned by Manchester Education Committee in 1957, to sculpt a statue for my old high school, the then new Wythenshawe Technical High School. The statue was named ‘Man & Technic’ and still stands on the site, now in pride of place, in the grounds of the new school Manchester Health Academy in Wythenshawe.
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Didn’t know that Jan thanks for your contribution, much appreciated.
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I stayed at Mitzi’s home in Seillens in the South of France. I believe she did a huge piece for Leeds University which she subsequently got back somehow and had erected on her property in France. Are there photos of this piece? I recall a huge piece with horses. Could be wrong there, it was a long time ago, 80s I rhink.
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There is a smaller piece in Leeds University will look into the “missing” exemplar Elizabeth.
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Ann Sumner’s book records “The War of the Roses” a horse themed screen designed for the Red Rose Restaurant in Lewis’s Liverpool – when the store closed in 1980 it was relocated to Mitzi’s french home. There are photographs in the book ” Mitzi Cunliffe – An American In Manchester”.
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