Page 38 - Studio International - June 1965

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and aggressively contributed to a current dialectic. This
lack of indulgence, the search for balance and
rationale. is what leads the French critic Pierre Restany
to call Chillida ·a veritable Jansenist of sculpture·.
This quality may misleadingly suggest similarities with
the English sculptor Robert Adams. The withdrawn
character of Adams· work is expressive of English
reserve and detachment; Chillida is never cold. but
rather introvert. dignified. resigned. in a manner more
oriental than European Chillida has also been called the
· Basque blacksmith'; his metal sculpture is forged. not
welded, in the tradition of No1·thern Spanish metal­
work. This contributes to the rugged. earthy, strength
of the forms. the complete avoidance of superficial
prettiness. The tough, proud. down-to-earth individu­
ality of the Basque race is ever present in these works.
In his student days Chillida carved in stone-solid.
rather primitive figures. These gave way to the geo­
metric considerations which have marked his sub­
sequent development. The more mature work of about
1956 reveals the still strong influence of Gonzalez, in
the spiky, linear, near-figurative elements. the rhythmic
choreography of Musica Ca/lada. or the more directly
literary quality of Eloge du fer. In retrospect one sees
these as the teething-stages of a slow developer. The
technical control and skill is impressive. but the
imagery sits uneasy on personality best expressed
in severer disciplines.
Yet as Chillida said to me during one of his rare visits
to London. although he has changed much in his work
he always remains the same. A tall. seigniorial-looking
man. gentle in voice. clearly invulnerable as a character.
he expresses in his person and manner all the inborn
strength. constraint and introspective rationality of his
remarkable sculpture.
Chillida now works in wood as well as iron. The
Baroque elements of earlier years have almost dis­
appeared. although in a series entitled Modulations

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1
Collage on paper 1963
2
Wood Relief 1963
3
Drawing 1964
Ink on paper
27½ X 39 1n
4
Marble 1964
Incised with black lead
8½ x 10½ tn.
252