Sculpture for the Blind (Beginning of the World) 1916

Constantin Brâncuși made this sculpture out of marble and called it Sculpture for the Blind (Beginning of the World). Isn't that lovely? He made it to be touched, not seen. Imagine how long he might have worked on this object, polishing the stone, feeling its surface with his hands, and gradually coaxing it into an egg shape. The egg is so elemental. And I just love the idea that Brâncuși made it for the blind, as if, without sight, we might be able to understand the beginning of the world more clearly. He’s also playing with the idea that you can't look directly at the sun or the truth, you know? It's like you can't SEE the beginning, either. You have to feel your way into it. Brâncuși makes me think of other sculptors like Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, who also carved directly into stone. It's this whole lineage of artists who believed in the power of simple forms to express profound ideas.