Arc I, Mandorla & Liminal Space Sculpture Series Gallery

About The Arc I, Mandorla & Liminal Space Sculpture Series . . . [ show / hide ]

I have been using the images of a Labyrinth and a Mandorla both formally and conceptually as an abstract device. These images were the starting point for the Arc II Maquette series: Liminal Space, Mandorla and Contrapposto.

The Mandorla is an ancient symbol, often used in Rose Windows, of two circles coming together, overlapping one another to form an almond shape in the middle. This symbolises the interactions and interdependence of opposing world and forces. The unseen circles symbolize interacting but complementary opposites, the tension of opposites. The space within the overlap is the place in which, psychologically, we are called to “remain”, the Liminal Space. This is the place where you arrive after you leave one room and have not yet entered another. In this place you are living on the threshold, all transformations take place in a Liminal Space.

Liminal Space is a female figure enclosed by two formalised wings in the shape of a Mandorla. The dynamic articulation of the figure is taken from both the Vortex series and Arc I. The abstract elements are a continuation of the formal concepts explored in Vortex IV.

Mandorla is a more deliberate, considered movement through the Liminal Space. The whole figure is described, the movement is stepping forward, yet the torso pulls back. The articulation of the Mandorla is also forward, therefore emphasising the movement between the two elements. The Mandorla is constructed in linear steel, so the figure can be seen through the wings, thus forming a cage around her.

Contrapposto returns to the earlier formal ideas of Vortex I but on a larger scale. The movement in the figure is implied, the title comes from the pose. The single wing form, which supports the figure, is a mirror image of the articulation of the figure, therefore forming a Helix. As with Mandorla the wing form is constructed with linear steel. Unlike previous work the sphere is now constructed with a network of short steel rods, twisting over the surface. This represents a three-dimensional Labyrinth.

Figurehead I Sculpture Arc I at Mottisfont Abbey Figurehead II Sculpture Arc I Sculpture Arc I Maquette
Mandorla Sculpture Contrapposto Sculpture Arc I at Mottisfont Abbey Mandorla Sculpture Arc I at A Decade of Sculpture in the Garden Exhibition 2011
Liminal Space Sculpture Arc I Sculpture Arc I Maquette Arc I Maquette Contrapposto Sculpture
Arc I Sculpture Arc I Sculpture Liminal Space Sculpture Arc I at A Decade of Sculpture in the Garden Exhibition 2011 Figurehead II Sculpture
Arc I at Mottisfont Abbey Mandorla Sculpture Arc I at Mottisfont Abbey Figurehead II Sculpture
Mandorla Sculpture Arc I at A Decade of Sculpture in the Garden Exhibition 2011 Contrapposto Sculpture Arc I Sculpture

This video of the Decade of Sculpture in the Garden 2011 exhibition, including my sculpture, Arc I, illustrates the magnificent surroundings of the Harold Martin Botanic Garden being transformed into a living tactile and visual environment.