Thursday Thoughts...

“Before I start carving the idea must be almost complete. I say ‘almost' because the really important thing seems to be the sculptor's ability to let his intuition guide him over the gap between conception and realisation without compromising the integrity of the original idea.” 

Barbara Hepworth

One of my first responses to this quote by the amazing Barbara Hepworth, is to stumble a bit on her use of "his" when referring to a sculptor's intuition. It may be that somebody has simply transcribed it this way; but because she herself was such a stunning sculptor, I would hate to think that she thought that only men were the worthy sculptors.

To go then to her thoughts on the process... I like how she has the notion of something almost complete in her mind before she begins; and yet leaves herself open to those moments along the way that allow her to respond. To intuition, to the work itself, to whatever it is that might guide her a little bit this way or that, off the main path.

This feels like a very real description the creative process to me.

I think it is also important that she returns to the idea that this diversion or alteration helps to be a link between the thinking and the doing; but that it also doesn't compromise the integrity of the original idea. She wants to make sure that the work still reflects her intention and understandings and that any deviation does not detract from that; rather it enhances it.

Sometimes we can get waylaid and diverted on such a scale that we end up nowhere near where we thought we were headed. Sometimes that's good; sometimes not. Sometimes we need to go back and work our way through the original idea again.

Oval Form with Strings and Colour (1966)

My first viewing of a Hepworth - The Met in New York, 2012.