Antony Gormley

EARLY BLOCKWORKS, 2001 - 2003

This was the first time that I had thought about translating the orthogonal geometries of the original lead works into units and about the way that pixelisation of the two-dimensional image could be translated into three dimensions.

The EARLY BLOCKWORKS are an attempt to make a body as building, out of welded 25 x 25 x 50 mm blocks of steel. The works are all hollow but made within a mould. The challenge was always to try to make a cogent and self-supporting offset bond of blocks, while at the same time, following the organic contours of the form.

The works are started with the closest possible contact around the heart area, but the inherent geometry of this patterning breaks down towards the extremities of the head and the ankles. The ability of the blocks to lie close to one another also breaks down, making the bond of the blocks increasingly chaotic.

In the development of the BUILDINGS, we ended up making a number of works that suggest an inherent tension, like DISTRESS, where the blocks explode from the containing skin, or suspensions, where the blocks are fused in a random jumble.

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DISTRESS

DISTRESS, 2001
25 x 25 x 50 mm mild steel blocks
195 x 86 x 40 cm
Photograph by Stephen White, London

PRECIPITATE

PRECIPITATE, 2001
Mild steel blocks 25 x 25 x 50 mm
81 x 59 x 63 cm

DISORDER

DISORDER, 2001
25 x 25 x 50 mm mild steel blocks
192 x 84 x 37 cm

SPLEEN II

SPLEEN II, 2002
Mild steel blocks 25 x 25 x 50 mm
160 x 53 x 73 cm
Photograph by Stephen White, London

GUT IV

GUT IV, 2002
Mild steel blocks: 25 x 25 x 50 mm and 25 x 25 x 25 mm
154 x 53 x 65 cm
Photograph by Vincent Evertarts, Brussels

BUILDING I

BUILDING I, 2002
Mild steel blocks 25 x 25 x 50 mm and 25 x 25 x 25 mm
186 x 49 x 34 cm
Photograph by Stephen White, London

BUILDING III

BUILDING III, 2002
Stainless steel blocks 25 x 25 x 50 mm and 25 x 25 x 25 mm
186 x 49 x 34 cm

APART IV

APART IV, 2002
Mild steel blocks 25 x 25 x 50 mm and 25 x 25 x 25 mm
80 x 49 x 68 cm
Photograph by Stephen White, London

APART V

APART V, 2002
Mild steel blocks 25 x 25 x 50 mm and 25 x 25 x 25 mm
80 x 49 x 60 cm
Photograph by Stephen White, London

APART VI

APART VI, 2002
Mild steel blocks 25 x 25 x 50 mm and 25 x 25 x 25 mm,
80 x 49 x 68 cm
Photograph by Stephen White, London

APART VII, 2002

APART VII, 2002
Mild steel blocks 25 x 25 x 50 mm and 25 x 25 x 25 mm, 79 x 51 x 59 cm

APART VIII

APART VIII, 2002
Mild steel blocks 25 x 25 x 50 mm and 25 x 25 x 25 mm,
79 x 51 x 59 cm