Page 35 - Studio International - March 1966

Broken White 1965
Steel painted white
Height 3 ft Length 10 ft Width 8 ft

ing steel, merely enjoying its uncomplicated strength. Wall, incidentally, will disapprove of this musical
The paradox and tension in his work is born out comparison since he dislikes the complexity of music.
of the search for Van Doesburg's universality, which Simplicity, as I have already indicated, remains his
implies an element of anonymity, together with the word of greatest praise. 'I am much more pleased with
incontrovertible fact that the work is the child of one simple forms; the simpler the thing the more sympathy
particular man. 'The actual material doesn't matter; I have with it—thus my admiration for Mondrian,
the important thing is to arrive at the point where it Brancusi and David Smith'.
virtually disappears. In the late nudes of Bonnard, for Coming back to the phrase 'creative engineering', it is
instance, there is a kind of anonymity, when his person- not too far-fetched to suggest the analogy between
ality has been submerged in the mystery of creation'. Wall's monumental simplicity and the great achieve-
This is really the pledge of the intuitive artist. 'The ments of British industrial design in the 19th century—
shapes just come out of themselves ; one batch evolves in Paxton's Crystal Palace or Brunel's bridges. Without
out of the last. I never, for instance, say to myself "This limiting his achievement, one can see the basic gift for
time I'll juggle with three circles". It just ends up with design in Wall's work. It is not architectural and certainly
three—two wouldn't do. Similarly, colour is not very not domestic. Without the need for justification as
important. I usually paint them black or a very dark functioning objects, his work satisfies Gabo's con-
colour. Painting doesn't make the sculpture any better, clusion —'. . . constructive art is that which helps
but the darkness emphasizes the shapes, makes it easier support the rhythm of human life and does not destroy.
to concentrate on them. One of my recent works is Art should be useful. But remember a poem can be as
actually painted white; it simply had to be that colour, useful as a chair'. q
something to do with the way it goes along the ground'.
Significantly, this work, entitled Broken White, is a
departure rather than a variant, and the least persuasive
of his new sculptures. Closer in feeling to Caro, it has
none of the finality of Wall's best work. In his more
characteristic forms there is a recognisable beginning
and end, a harmonic line and pattern of Beethoven-like
authority. Broken White is indeed 'broken', a kind of
lyrical jazz, with unfinished chords.