Axe-Head Torso 1979

Curator: Here we have William Turnbull's "Axe-Head Torso", currently housed in the Tate Collections. The sculpture stands at just over 33 centimeters in height. Editor: It's striking. There's something both ancient and futuristic about the form. Like a relic unearthed from a time yet to come. Curator: Turnbull was deeply interested in the archaic and the modern, and this piece encapsulates that tension. His interest in non-Western art, particularly Cycladic figures, shaped his approach to the human form. Editor: The title throws me a curveball. "Axe-Head Torso"—it feels... violent, almost primitive, yet rendered in such a smooth, contemplative way. It is strangely comforting. Curator: Indeed, it challenges us to consider power, gender, and history from multiple viewpoints. Who wielded the axe, and what kind of body are we viewing here? Editor: I guess it goes to show, even a torso, or perhaps especially a torso, can be a loaded symbol. Makes you wonder what stories it could tell. Curator: Precisely. The layered dialogue between present and past, violence and tranquility, is what makes Turnbull's piece so compelling.