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Lot Essay
'Sculpture... is not the slave of utilitarianism; it permits a journey of discovery that gives us a glimpse at the myriad of forms as yet unseen. If science attempts to explain the physics of our reality, it is sculpture and art in general that gives it value and meaning.' (T. Cragg, quoted in P. Elliott, Tony Cragg, Sculptures and Drawings, London 2011, p. 1)
A lyrical example from Tony Cragg’s diverse oeuvre, Can (1999) with its immaculate undulating contours, elegant black abstract form, is a work that is so neatly placed between the geometric and the organic. Born from a desire to explore the energy that exists beneath the surface of an everyday object, Can presents the viewer with a new interpretation of the reality around us. Dynamically revolving around a central axis, the sculpture constantly bends and re-orientates itself, building up, yet compressed down, generating an almost compacted form. Curious about the possibilities inherent to their physical properties, Cragg has consistently aimed to create sculpture that gives life to these materials, objects that reflect something about the world which neither imitate nature, nor exist to be functional. Rather, the material itself dictates his work. As Cragg notes: ‘There is this idea that sculpture is static, or maybe even dead, but I feel absolutely contrary to that. I’m not a religious person—I’m an absolute materialist—and for me material is exciting and ultimately sublime. When I’m involved in making sculpture, I’m looking for a system of belief or ethics in the material. I want that material to have a dynamic, to push and move and grow.... I think that the way that we look at sculpture is important, because it’s not moving and you realize how kineastically you look at it — you are the moving element. What a challenge this is for our perceptions. Perhaps you were going to ask, 'What is your favorite material?' The most important material is our own brains, because that’s where you effect the change. (T. Cragg, quoted in R. Ayers, 'Interview with Tony Cragg', ArtInfo, May, 2007)
This focus on form, material and the world at large is deeply rooted in the British modernist sculptural tradition brought to its heights by Henry Moore, and the Turner Prize winning Cragg was hailed in the 1980s as one of the leading 'New British Sculptors', alongside Anthony Gormley, Anish Kapoor and others. Cragg’s fascination with, and careful selection of, the design of forms and the very substance of material within Can produces a highly sophisticated dramatic final result that invites appreciation from all angles.
A lyrical example from Tony Cragg’s diverse oeuvre, Can (1999) with its immaculate undulating contours, elegant black abstract form, is a work that is so neatly placed between the geometric and the organic. Born from a desire to explore the energy that exists beneath the surface of an everyday object, Can presents the viewer with a new interpretation of the reality around us. Dynamically revolving around a central axis, the sculpture constantly bends and re-orientates itself, building up, yet compressed down, generating an almost compacted form. Curious about the possibilities inherent to their physical properties, Cragg has consistently aimed to create sculpture that gives life to these materials, objects that reflect something about the world which neither imitate nature, nor exist to be functional. Rather, the material itself dictates his work. As Cragg notes: ‘There is this idea that sculpture is static, or maybe even dead, but I feel absolutely contrary to that. I’m not a religious person—I’m an absolute materialist—and for me material is exciting and ultimately sublime. When I’m involved in making sculpture, I’m looking for a system of belief or ethics in the material. I want that material to have a dynamic, to push and move and grow.... I think that the way that we look at sculpture is important, because it’s not moving and you realize how kineastically you look at it — you are the moving element. What a challenge this is for our perceptions. Perhaps you were going to ask, 'What is your favorite material?' The most important material is our own brains, because that’s where you effect the change. (T. Cragg, quoted in R. Ayers, 'Interview with Tony Cragg', ArtInfo, May, 2007)
This focus on form, material and the world at large is deeply rooted in the British modernist sculptural tradition brought to its heights by Henry Moore, and the Turner Prize winning Cragg was hailed in the 1980s as one of the leading 'New British Sculptors', alongside Anthony Gormley, Anish Kapoor and others. Cragg’s fascination with, and careful selection of, the design of forms and the very substance of material within Can produces a highly sophisticated dramatic final result that invites appreciation from all angles.