"I felt the most intense pleasure in piercing the stone in order to make an abstract form and space; quite a different sensation from that of doing it for the purpose of realism"
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Barbara Hepworth's quote reflects her creative approach and the psychological experience she found in abstract art. By mentioning that she felt "the most extreme enjoyment in piercing the stone", Hepworth highlights the deep, almost visceral complete satisfaction she originated from her sculptural process. For Hepworth, the act of shaping wasn't simply a technical job however an exceptionally sensory and fulfilling venture. This experience is connected deeply to the material itself-- stone-- a medium that needs both respect and understanding due to its enduring and resistant nature. Her choice of words suggests that the physical interaction with the stone, the very act of piercing it, was a vital part of her imaginative process, perhaps offering a sense of discussion between the artist and the medium.
The phrase "to make an abstract type and area" underscores the reality that her objective wasn't to reproduce reality however to create something brand-new and independent of it. In contrast to realism, which aims to illustrate the world as it is, abstract art permits exploration beyond visual looks, using the realm of feeling, understanding, and creativity. For Hepworth, abstraction wasn't merely an aesthetic choice however a philosophical and emotional one, offering a different "feeling" from realism. This aligns with a broader 20th-century creative movement where lots of artists sought to transcend the observable world and reveal more profound, typically spiritual, facts through abstraction.
Hepworth's focus on "abstract kind and area" exposes her fascination with the intrinsic qualities and possibilities of the materials she dealt with. Her statement opens a window into how she perceived the relationship in between kind, area, and material-- central themes in her work. By manipulating the stone to develop spaces within the types, she engaged with the paradox of solid and space, existence and lack, welcoming viewers to not only see however likewise to feel and think about the space the artwork inhabits.
Overall, Hepworth's words encapsulate a transformative artistic journey-- a movement from the literal to the conceptual, from the physical act of sculpting to the intellectual and emotional resonance she found within the abstract realm.
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