Maquette for ‘Building Blocks’ 1964

Curator: John Doubleday created this intriguing sculpture, "Maquette for 'Building Blocks.'" Editor: It feels remarkably stable and imposing for a maquette, like a miniaturized monument. Curator: Indeed, the artist seems to be exploring the potential of stacked forms, creating an almost architectural aesthetic. Its patinated bronze surface suggests both solidity and age. Editor: There's a compelling interplay between the rectangular volumes and that hollow, almost organic form in the middle. It disrupts the expected geometry. Was Doubleday interested in the history of Brutalist architecture, perhaps? Curator: It's likely that Doubleday was drawing upon contemporary construction and modern sculptural forms in the latter part of the 20th century to invite that interpretation, yes. Editor: The rough texture captures a raw, unfinished quality, belying its material permanence. It sparks an interesting tension. Curator: A tension that speaks to the artist's command of form and material, and the dialogue between mass and void. It's a striking study in contrasts.