Tuesday 8 March 2016

Intro

We first visited St. Ives for the Marlow Moss exhibition curated by Lucy Howarth in 2013.
Square Forms, Green Ted

When we returned for a brief visit this week the Tate was closed (and, it is rumoured, will be for another year) but the Barbara Hepworth Museum was open. Perhaps the smallest piece on show was Square Forms 1962: although it is probably not my absolute favourite, standing just 13½ inches high, pound-for-pound it is her best work.

Unlike most of her bronzes, rather than being cast, this was made from offcuts from larger pieces riveted together - nine were made and presumably there are differences between them.

I intend to write about it in this blog and make a couple of facsimiles: in wood, not bronze; one black and another in primary colours.

It sits on a shelf over a fireplace in what was once Hepworth's workshop and living room (she also slept there, but it cannot be described as a bed-sit). She died there too in the fire that killed her, probably started by her last cigarette. The photograph includes Green Ted, fellow sculpture enthusiast and travelling companion.

One of the books on sale at the museum had a detailed description of the work and I have found that online. The entry suggests a number of topics to pursue:

  • Dimensions
  • The Build
  • The others - the example on show is number 9 of 9 made: I'll aim to find the others
  • Linked pieces - (i) there are some larger versions by Hepworth and (ii) the Tate page also mentions a Nicholson work.
and, no doubt, others will arise.

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