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Lot Essay
Six Times Left is one of five works facing forwards, downwards, upwards, left and right that were each an edition of 5 and were originally conceived for IX TIMES IN EDINBURGH.
COMMISSIONED BY THE NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND, THE SIX LIFE-SIZED FIGURES OF SIX TIMES ARE POSITIONED BETWEEN THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART IN EDINBURGH AND THE SEA. FOUR OF THE FIGURES ARE SITED IN THE WATER OF LEITH, ACTING AS GAUGES FOR THE HEIGHT OF THE RIVER AS IT SWELLS AND RECEDES.
THE FIRST FIGURE IS LOCATED WITHIN THE GROUNDS OF THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART, BURIED IN THE GROUND UP TO CHEST LEVEL. THE NEXT FIGURE APPEARS WITHIN A BASIN OF THE RIVER IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE GALLERY, WHERE IT GAZES DOWN INTO THE WATER IN A CONTEMPLATIVE POSE. A FURTHER THREE FIGURES ARE SITED AT SEPARATE POINTS DOWNSTREAM IN STOCKBRIDGE, POWDERHALL AND BONNINGTON, LOOKING PROGRESSIVELY UP, DOWNSTREAM AND TO THE RIGHT. THE FINAL FIGURE, SITUATED AT THE END OF AN ABANDONED PIER IN LEITH DOCKS, LOOKS OUT TO THE POINT WHERE THE RIVER COURSE MEETS THE SEA.
THIS ENIGMATIC, PROVOCATIVE AND STIMULATING WORK CONVEYS A SENSE OF MYSTERY AND QUIET MONUMENTALITY, AND DRAWS RENEWED ATTENTION TO THE IMPORTANT NATURAL ENVIRONMENT WHICH RUNS THROUGH THE HEART OF EDINBURGH.
"THE VIEWER IS A PART OF THE PICTURE IN THIS WORK, RELATING TO THIS MOMENT OF CAST STILLNESS, SEEN AGAINST THE MOVING WATER, CHANGING LIGHT AND SEASONS AND THE MOVEMENT OF CARS AND PEOPLE. MAYBE THEY CAN BE A CATALYST FOR A CERTAIN KIND OF REVERIE; A DETACHMENT FROM OBLIGATION "
ANTONY GORMLEY
COMMISSIONED BY THE NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND, THE SIX LIFE-SIZED FIGURES OF SIX TIMES ARE POSITIONED BETWEEN THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART IN EDINBURGH AND THE SEA. FOUR OF THE FIGURES ARE SITED IN THE WATER OF LEITH, ACTING AS GAUGES FOR THE HEIGHT OF THE RIVER AS IT SWELLS AND RECEDES.
THE FIRST FIGURE IS LOCATED WITHIN THE GROUNDS OF THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART, BURIED IN THE GROUND UP TO CHEST LEVEL. THE NEXT FIGURE APPEARS WITHIN A BASIN OF THE RIVER IMMEDIATELY BEHIND THE GALLERY, WHERE IT GAZES DOWN INTO THE WATER IN A CONTEMPLATIVE POSE. A FURTHER THREE FIGURES ARE SITED AT SEPARATE POINTS DOWNSTREAM IN STOCKBRIDGE, POWDERHALL AND BONNINGTON, LOOKING PROGRESSIVELY UP, DOWNSTREAM AND TO THE RIGHT. THE FINAL FIGURE, SITUATED AT THE END OF AN ABANDONED PIER IN LEITH DOCKS, LOOKS OUT TO THE POINT WHERE THE RIVER COURSE MEETS THE SEA.
THIS ENIGMATIC, PROVOCATIVE AND STIMULATING WORK CONVEYS A SENSE OF MYSTERY AND QUIET MONUMENTALITY, AND DRAWS RENEWED ATTENTION TO THE IMPORTANT NATURAL ENVIRONMENT WHICH RUNS THROUGH THE HEART OF EDINBURGH.
"THE VIEWER IS A PART OF THE PICTURE IN THIS WORK, RELATING TO THIS MOMENT OF CAST STILLNESS, SEEN AGAINST THE MOVING WATER, CHANGING LIGHT AND SEASONS AND THE MOVEMENT OF CARS AND PEOPLE. MAYBE THEY CAN BE A CATALYST FOR A CERTAIN KIND OF REVERIE; A DETACHMENT FROM OBLIGATION "
ANTONY GORMLEY