Dimensions: 28 x 225 x 325 mm weight 1.kg
Copyright: © Estate of Paul Neagu | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Here we have Paul Neagu's "Full Hand," a wooden sculpture from an unknown date. It is striking, how the hand seems both present and absent. How do you interpret this work? Curator: I see a potent symbol of labour and control. The hand, meticulously crafted yet fragmented, speaks to the historical exploitation of the working class. Notice how the grid-like structure evokes systems of power, perhaps even imprisonment? What does this evoke for you? Editor: That adds a layer I hadn't considered. The fragmentation does hint at a loss of agency within those systems. It's unsettling. Curator: Absolutely. Neagu invites us to question the very nature of work, its impact on the body, and the unseen forces that shape our realities. This really encourages deeper reflection.
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Empty Hand and Full Hand consist of framed blocks of wood which hold small boxes or blocks arranged in the shape of a hand. Like many of the works shown in this room, the cellular structure of the hands relates to Neagu’s interest in the human body as a microcosmic model for larger systems. The hand as a symbol appears in several of Neagu’s works, notably in a series of drawings called 36 Possibilities Realised Simultaneously. Gallery label, September 2004
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