Page 43 - Studio International - April 1965

1 But he did not think it enough to appreciate these were, logically, subtly and naturally evoked, just as the
Creation du Movement qualities by feeling and knowing them as he worked on
1961-62 Porphyry oyster adds new and similar virtue to his own form ; they
2 the substance with his chisel ; he wanted to share the developed in accordance with proportions so just and
Sculpture 1958
Cement ecstasy of his new-found love with others by achieving so precise that their formula may be calculated by the
a very consummation. Like a diamond-cutter who exact measurements of the mathematician.
increases the number of facets on the gem, so that the I know that these stones worked upon by the hands of
glory of the stone may shine forth with a double splen- this child of the ancients have the beauty of rocks from
dour, Sklavos opened up the block of stone to produce the Ionian islands. Here are both temple and grotto;
a duplicate—a triplicate—visible surface, for the admira- here we have the reconciliation of the authenticity and
tion of his audience. the purity of the products of the sea's action and the
The chisel did not permit him to hollow the volume as intelligence divulged by human creations.
sensitively as he wished. A way out occurred to him Sklavos leaves nothing to chance. Even if the work of
—or rather to his creative spirit—this was a means of this man imitates the work of nature, such a process of
modifying and charging the very countenance of his imitation is a recognition of the rational structure of
work. He took up again the blow-pipe that he had used nature—a structure that affects and moves us deeply.
upon his metal works ; he used it upon stone ; and the At this point, I feel that I may possibly be understood
stone revealed its glory to him. Now he was able to but poorly, or that my intention may be completely mis-
create the channels and divisions that his genius apprehended, like any specialist who seeks to com-
required. municate with the public in a jargon reserved to his
But no technique, however original it may be, con- profession. But whilst the scientist uses terms that no
stitutes a style ; nor can it give birth to original artistry— one outside the purlieus of his special subject can
that which is the 'manner' of a particular artist. Style is understand, the critic uses words from the colloquial
the external manifestation of a personality. Sklavos' tongue, which he has gradually, and, to some extent,
inspiration was already personal ; it needed only the unconsciously, employed with a new meaning. Per-
material means with which to express itself. And now haps, therefore, I should seek to make some distinction
the stones upon which he worked opened up, divided between the terms 'composition' and 'structure'.
themselves, showed their core, their grain, their The composition is the arrangement of diverse
essence : not by chance, or with the blind obstinacy of a elements of a work of art in relation to one another.
wave which again and again attacks the cliff, and Formerly a monumental sculpture was composed of
eventually undermines it. No, the rhythms now revealed several figures arranged in space in accordance with a