Study for a Garden Statue 1921

Curator: Here we have Jacques Lipchitz's "Study for a Garden Statue," currently housed in the Tate. Editor: It has a primitive, almost totemic quality. It reminds me of something ancient dug up from the earth. Curator: Yes, its verticality and repeated geometric forms do echo ancient structures. The diamond shapes could be read as stylized eyes, or perhaps even symbolic portals. Editor: The figure at the top looks like a huddled, almost embryonic form. There is something vulnerable about it despite the solid base. Curator: The contrast speaks to the duality of human existence – the strength of our foundations versus the fragility of the self. It is a compelling meditation on growth and permanence. Editor: It's strange, this little sculpture evokes such a feeling of timelessness and mystery. I'm going to keep turning that over in my mind.