Model for 'Spheric Theme' 1937

This object is a ‘Model for Spheric Theme’ by Naum Gabo. I wonder about the process of making this. How was this thing put together? It looks like semi-transparent wafers leaning into each other. There is some serious geometrical thinking in the way the planes meet. How could Gabo get his head (and hands) around the problem of making a sphere out of flat planes? It’s not just about math. The making of something like this involves a lot of intuition, and trial and error. It is a process of discovery! We can see the artist’s care for the material in the way he has handled it, the way he has shaped it, and the way he has put it together. There is a kind of lightness and fragility, which is interesting, given the weight of the concept. It is like he is having a conversation with us about the nature of form. Artists have always been inspired by each other across time.