Antony Gormley on Sculpture

by Antony Gormley

One of the most exciting sculptors of our time, Antony Gormley is the creator of breathtaking public installations. Even casual fans will recognize Event Horizon, a collection of thirty-one life-size casts of the artist’s body that have been installed atop buildings in places like London’s South Bank and New York’s Madison Square, and Field, formed by tens of thousands of standing clay figurines overflowing across a room’s floor. Projects like these demonstrate Gormley’s ongoing interest in exploring the human form and its relationships with the rest of the material world, and in On Sculpture, he shares valuable insight into his work and the history of sculpture itself.

Combining commentary on his own works with discussions of other artists and the Eastern religious traditions that have inspired him, Gormley offers wisdom on topics such as the body in space, how to approach an environment when conceiving an installation, bringing mindfulness and internal balance to sculpture, and much more. Lavishly illustrated, this book will be of interest to not only art lovers, curators, and critics, but also artists and art students. Dynamic and thought-provoking, On Sculpture is essential reading for anyone fascinated by sculpture and its long and complex history as a medium. 

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2015

Reviews

[Peter White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gormley is an exceptionally thoughtful sculptor and this book of essays shows the he is an equally capable and perceptive writer. Anyone interested in sculpture in general (not specifically Gormley's) will get something from this book and will contemplate 3D art through a fresh lens afterwards.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It amazes me how some artists can develop a concept and create their art to reflect this in such diverse and clever ways. I loved the chapters on Jacob Epstein and Richard Serra particularly and they sent me off researching more about the thoughts and ideas behind their works. I now want to find more stuff written by Gormley ... or Epstein or Beuys ...

[Anna Kravchuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of the time when I try reading a piece where an artist explains their vision and philosophy I find it unbearably watery and cringeworthy, but in this case the text feels sincere, crisp and filled with actual thoughts and ideas, and the traces of these ideas are indeed visible in Antony Gormley's works.

[Frederic De meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profound and insightful, both in relation to his own work and that of others (Brancusi, Giacometti, Beuys, Serra). "Buddhism gave me the idea of making sculpture by being rather than by doing." The same might apply on his writings...

[Arcee · Rating 5 out of 5]

fessing up that i've already been a fan of gormley's work way before i read this, but if anything this concretised all the love i have for his body (haha) of work and his practice. an introspective read - gormley's commentary is salient, and i think it's testament to the rigour of his conceptual process and his ability as a writer and artist that he is able to translate his work (which is, by nature, something so subconsciously instinctive) into prose that remains both meaningful and accessible.

must read for any fans of the ybas, modernism, post-modernism, & sculpture in general (i'm all of the above . WELL...)

[Celestin Büche · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like his sculptures. His writing not so much.

[Jonnie Hann · Rating 5 out of 5]

deeply calming. fixed my insomnia

[Ruth Brumby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well thought out book, with clear writing and a good choice of illustrations. His ideas are interesting, although I don't agree with him that the body is a 'vehicle' for the self.

[Cellophane Renaissance · Rating 5 out of 5]

"that are both objects and places"

"the body as a place"


this book is so beautiful <3