SMALL VISE III

Antony Gormley’s SMALL VISE III (2015) is a sculpture from his ‘Small Blockwork’ series. Composed of subtly varied blocks of cast iron, the ‘bodyform’ is solid yet dynamic, employing structural poise to create an architectonic language that, to Gormley, articulates the internal and external human condition. Based on 3D scans of the artist’s own body, it takes on a universal presence. As he has elaborated: ‘The Small Blockworks are models for the 1.5 life-size Blockworks, which attempt to give a strong intimation of the feel of a body using the smallest number of compressed cast iron blocks. These either sit one on top of the other or side-by-side, whether the figure is standing or crouching. The vertical works counter the stability of a column by cantilever. They attempt to equate instability of build with a mental state, translating haptic bodily sensation into ever more parlous tectonics’ (A. Gormley, artist’s website).