Dimensions: object: 820 x 530 x 433 mm, 167 kg
Copyright: © Bowness, Hepworth Estate | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: Before us stands Dame Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture, "Touchstone," housed in the Tate Collections. The smooth, dark form exudes a primal energy. Editor: The sheer weight of the material suggests a deep connection to the earth, a grounding force. It makes me think of the labor involved to shape something so dense. Curator: Precisely. The interplay of positive and negative space, particularly the circular void, creates a dynamic tension, almost as if the sculpture breathes. Editor: Considering the labour and method of production invites discussions about the relationship between the artist, her tools, and the inherent qualities of the stone. Curator: The reductive process here reveals a form that is both monumental and intimate. Editor: It's a potent reminder of art's capacity to transform raw materials into a reflection of human touch and vision.
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This sculpture is unusual because Hepworth made very few single upright forms in the 1960s, especially unpierced. Stylistically, there are links with her 'Torso' carvings of the 1920s, particularly a black marble 'Torso' from 1927 which is in a private collection. The artist believed that sculpture was 'something you experience through your senses, but it's also a life-giving, purposeful force.' As with 'Two Figures (Menhirs)', also in this display, the work appears to have a sacred and mysterious significance that is further enhanced by its title. Gallery label, August 2004
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