X-Act 1964

David Annesley made “X-Act” out of painted steel, with the vision of a sculptor-engineer, building a painted world. I can picture Annesley in his studio, bending and welding, trying out one shape after another, building and re-building. The sculpture comes to life through shifts and turns, finding its form, discovering itself through that hands-on process, like a painter searching for the right mark. It must have taken patience to resolve this piece into a satisfying whole. There’s something very grounded and solid about this sculpture – its physicality, its balance, and the way the light and the eye move across its surfaces. Yet it also has a playful lightness. The colour draws your eye along the form. Painters and sculptors are in an ongoing dialogue with each other across time. We are always experimenting with the language of form, building on what others have done before, inspiring one another, and questioning the very nature of seeing.