Man 1919

This small sculpture, simply titled 'Man', was made by Svend Rathsack, and what strikes me first is the way he has worked the surface. It’s rough and uneven, with these little pock marks and ridges that catch the light. You can almost feel the artist’s hand at work, pushing and pulling the material to create this form. When you look closer, the limbs are extended and flexed, and it seems like the figure could almost be stretching or preparing for something, but his pose also has an air of vulnerability. The modelling is somewhat crude. What I find intriguing is how Rathsack’s piece feels so immediate and connected to the process of its making. I’m reminded of Auguste Rodin, whose sculptures also celebrate the beauty of the unfinished and the imperfect. I think what art can offer is an invitation to embrace ambiguity, to find beauty in the unexpected, and to see the world in new and surprising ways.