Page 36 - Studio International - July August 1972

CARDIFF
William Pye

To date, most of my sculptures have involved
actual volume as a predominant element.
This latest piece is more illusive and
ephemeral : closely-spaced stainless steel wires
form curtains and shafts that appear more dense
and consequently more visible as the angle of
view becomes increasingly oblique. The
direction of sun or floodlighting affects the
relative visibility of various parts of the work. It
is my intention that, as the spectator becomes
familiar with the piece, enough information will
have been communicated to provide an
awareness of the planes dividing the space. Even
if, from certain positions, areas of the
composition become invisible, I intend that the
Mirage Cardiff Castle, stainless steel tube and wire rope, 5.5 metres height
sculptural experience will in no way be
diminished by this illusiveness.
The environmental nature of this work has
its roots in all my larger pieces, the first of
which was Deity Enshrined done in 1964 while
at the RCA, and later the stainless steel Tripod
Series sculptures, of which Hambalt was the first,
and more recently Zemran, the most hermetic
and voluminal work to date. All my sculptures
attempt to combine an architectural experience
while retaining the sense of object, of self-
containment rather than theatrical space.
This project has provided me with a unique
opportunity to experiment with new techniques
and radically to change the direction of my work.

Hambalt 1968 Coll: McAlpine Deity Enshrined 1964
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