Dimensions: object: 390 x 16 x 40 mm
Copyright: © David Musgrave | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: David Musgrave created this sculpture, titled "Transparent Stick Figure". Editor: It feels brittle, almost ephemeral. What's it made of? Curator: The dimensions are roughly 39 by 2 centimeters, it is made out of plastic. It's part of his broader investigation into form and representation, particularly in relation to the human figure. Editor: Is the transparency meant to symbolize invisibility or erasure, especially when considering the historical treatment of marginalized bodies? Curator: That’s a strong reading. Musgrave often works with the idea of absence and presence, pushing the viewer to consider what is unseen or implied. The simplicity is striking. Editor: It certainly invites reflection on vulnerability, doesn't it? The fragility of the human form, made even more explicit through the choice of material. Curator: Absolutely, a powerful commentary on the human condition. Editor: Indeed, lots to digest, it really opens up a space for thoughtful consideration.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/musgrave-transparent-stick-figure-t13656
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Musgrave often works across different media and materials with similar subject matter: that of the stick figure or the simplest means of representing the human form. Made from modelling putty which was then cast in transparent resin and its parts joined together with steel fixings, the artist sees this work acting as ‘an eccentric lens. You see the wall, the distorted fixings and the effects of light more than an object.’ Transparent Stick Figure tests the limits of recognition by slowing down the identification of the human form Gallery label, October 2013