26 Aug 06: Curves
By pepsoid
- 1435 reads
On the day of my thirty-fourth birthday, I visited not a nuclear power station, but the Barbara Hepworth Museum & Sculpture Garden in St. Ives. I paid my entrance fee, went up the stairs to the indoor museum, sat on a chair and looked at the smaller pieces. "Very nice, I thought, as I wondered what the carousel-like piece was made of (marble, it turns out), but lovely though the cool room was, amidst the hot Bank Holiday madness that was St. Ives, it wasn't really doing it for me. The sculptures were accomplished, attractive, easy on the eye, but I wasn't really feeling it. Then I stepped outside.
The Sculpture Garden, if you haven't already been, is something that has to be seen... no, not seen - experienced. Walking amongst the trees, the foliage and the larger, in some cases looming pieces, taking it all in visually, has its merits... But to get the most out of this unique display, you need to go beyond the visual and touch. Feel, stroke, caress, even hug. The pieces are without titles, allowing for no preconceptions of their meaning or intention, leaving the observer free to interpret and ingest their nuances on a totally personal level. I found myself in the greenhouse, just myself and a sculpture, a relatively small piece on a plinth, all curves and feminine grace... caressing her, fondling her, totally caught up in the moment... and then feeling almost embarrassed and "caught out when my other half appeared, smiling, camera in hand. I felt like I had cheated on her with a sculpture!
And then outside again, sitting on a bench amongst dangling branches and leaves... listening to the silent tranquillity of this haven of creativity and nature... watching one of the keepers of the Garden slowly pouring water over a sculpture approximately the shape of an eye, in an area of bright sunlight, gently wiping off the detritus of the last few days, smiling, treating the piece with the utmost care and affection.
My girlfriend and I have wanted to see this unique and beautiful jewel of St. Ives most of our lives. We're glad we have. I think I'll be visiting it in my mind for years to come...
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