Nautilus 1963

This intriguing sculpture is called Nautilus by Fabio de Sanctis. Look at the grain, how the material has been worked away to reveal it. The artist must have been really confident, the way they cut into the wood, almost violently, to create this rough form. You can imagine Fabio working on it bit by bit, figuring it out as he goes along. I wonder, when he made this, was he thinking about other sculptors like Henry Moore or Barbara Hepworth? The deep crevices create all these unexpected shadows. It’s such a playful and suggestive form. When I look at the curves I wonder about all the hours of careful craftsmanship, all the decisions that went into it. Nautilus reminds me that art is a continuing dialogue, an ongoing conversation between artists across time.