Page 33 - Studio International - January 1966

sculpture almost represents a fear, or a distrust, of At the same time there is a geometrical principle guiding
feeling and thought, a withdrawal into a world without the balance between the different elements of the
myths, legends, sensuality, or mystery. As a projection structures. Duchamp-Villon's famous Horse, one of the
of rootless nihilism, the empirical denial of dogma and finest pieces of Cubist sculpture, often came to my
theory, it may well reflect our mid-century mood. mind when looking at Brazdys' work and trying to
In this respect Brazdys may seem old-fashioned ; he analyse his stylistic antecedents. This young artist
stems from a European humanism which many of his shows the same classically severe economy in paring
colleagues no longer respect. When he says 'Funda- down an image to basic elements, in a single
mental shapes must be natural—not an imitation of evolution of form, without the overloaded baroque
nature', it could well be a Cubist speaking. 'The detail which gave some of his early work a heavy
transformation of thought through my hands', is how awkwardness.
he describes his intuitive processes, whilst his objective That he occasionally misunderstands his own basic
is described as 'the analysis of reality.' I'm concerned style, or is misled into experiment, can be seen in
with humanist elements, not literal ones; with life, not Something African, a Max Ernst-like conceit. It is a
design. I don't work in pre-conceptions, aesthetic, clever, even witty, parody of African imagery, but in
stylistic or moral ; I don't execute sculpture, I try to live the last analysis represents a coarsening of his talent.
it. To put it in a rather corny way, I feel it's what nature Not that Brazdys' sculpture is without festishist or
might do if given a welding kit.' These comments hieratic elements. Indeed this is one of its most evocative
prepare one for the kind of sculpture Brazdys makes. features. His most completely realised work, in my view,
At first sight it is tough, direct, totemistic and is Marriage, painted black ; 'so as not to be seduced by
positive. He works in welded steel, having abandoned the material', he explained. Incidentally, the titles, he
earlier essays in forging. The bent tubular and ball gives these pieces are both misleading and revealing.
shapes are painstakingly made and then welded On the surface they bear little relationship to the
together in complex but easily comprehended composition and are chosen after the work is finished,
structures. His shapes convey the masculine sensuality, to facilitate identification. Yet the choice is a mixture
not to say sexuality, one finds in Brancusi, Arp and of high spirits and subconscious association. Marriage,
Left Lipchitz, without any of the vaguely subversive sexual the most Lipchitz-like of all Brazdys' pieces, has a
Marriage 1965
Welded steel interplay some modern artists surreptitiously explore. remarkable presence. It is curiously calm and static, like
Height 50 in. In this respect Brazdys is refreshingly direct. It is an ancient idol, rising from a simple functional base.
Right interesting to note that there is never in his work a The basic relationship is between two bent tubular
Something African 1965 straight line, never a stiff angle, rarely a flat area ; he forms, balanced on pelvic spheres. One corresponds
Welded steel
Height 52 in. reveals a search for natural forms, not man-made ones. to the human back, the other to arms or thighs. The