Dimensions: object: 2456 x 2626 x 787 mm
Copyright: © William Turnbull. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2014 | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: Here we have William Turnbull's sculpture, "3/4/5," housed here at the Tate. The sculpture presents three striking vertical forms. Editor: The jagged edges create a palpable sense of tension against the simple plane of the wall. The colors are so vibrant! Curator: Turnbull was deeply influenced by postwar discussions of space, especially how abstract forms impact the viewer's understanding of the world. Think of the geometric rigidity as a symbolic reaction to societal rebuilding. Editor: Right, but let's not overlook the stark contrast between the industrial feel of the material and the organic, almost lightning-bolt shape. It's a paradox. Curator: Exactly! Turnbull invites us to question the relationship between the manufactured and the natural within a rapidly changing society. Editor: Well, looking at the whole, I feel like I better understand how simple forms can speak volumes.
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During the 1950s William Turnbull began to feel that much contemporary art was becoming mannered, too concerned with effect. He decided, therefore, that the only way to make meaningful work was to rethink the process from the start. Beginning with a void (in sculpture) or a blank (in painting), his works were built up from elementary forms or marks. In sculpture this resulted in works like this one, which has a very open, flattened structure, comprising clearly defined shapes. The overall character of the work can be grasped immediately. The shapes also define the intervals between them, making space an element in the composition. Gallery label, September 2004
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