Sculptor of fine line

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33929, 23 August 1975, Page 21

Sculptor of fine line

Stephen Clarke is showing, in his first public < exhibition at the Brooke < Gifiord Gallery, a collection 1 of II pieces of sculpture. I i Like Cullen’s exhibition il showing concurrently at the < Centre Gallery. Clarke’s]: show is part of his sub-]’ mission for the diploma in,j fine arts with honours at the;! University of Canterbury. | The decision to bring then work of honours students] I into a public context is to it be applauded, because the It Cullen and Clarke exhibi->f tions rate among the year’s it highlights, such is the j i maturity and quality of the it work to be seen. Cullen and Clarke have, I ; t am assured, worked towards If

]what is in many respects a common goal, quite independent of each other and with little or no experience of the other’s work. Clarke, too, i is concerned about placing ihis objects and forms into delicate and precarious balance, but a balance which. When achieved, imparts a grace and weightlessness to I his floating linear forms. Where Cullen uses the materials of the land—stones, branches and knotted ragged cord — Clarke chooses those I of precision engineering — fine line, beautifully cast] weights, and polished aluminium worked with the finesse: iof the jeweller. He draws his linear forms, through space, describing a fine structure, weightless and

iin suspended equilibrium. - The austerity of his materi ials concentrates attention on F the construction and resol u- . tion of his compositions, and ; on a balance achieved for > the most part by' a highlydeveloped empirical sense ■ and understanding of the i characteristics and nature of > his materials. Most of the forms and shapes are ‘ described by' the combination . of rectilinear elements: one I exception, however. “The ‘distance between collapse ■and balance is immeasurable.” places a long endweighted aluminium rod in ‘lthe curve determined by the positioning of stays and weights, gravity, and the tensile strength of the material — the result is a supple sweep of indescribable grace, suspended and floating above the floor. In addition to balance, leverage, gravity, and weight Clarke introduces friction, land this can be seen to play la considerable part in the , functioning of numerous ] i works. Weights are calcuilated to provide, in combinai tion with natural friction, the minimum necessary force to prevent collapse. Sculp-I ture of this kind will j intrigue the visitor with the inquiring mind while not. failing, at the same time, to appeal to the eye sensitive to line and form. The exhibition will close lon August 29. —T.L.R.W.