Page 37 - Studio International - July August 1972

LIVERPOOL

William Turnbull

Previously when I have exhibited sculpture in a
public place it has been a large open space of
some sort, often not particularly interesting in
itself. As a result of this I wanted on this
occasion to exhibit in a court, where the
sculpture would be in a confined space, and
could be seen from first or second floors as well
as ground level. It didn't worry me at all that
the site was not 'modern'.
Due to circumstances relating to this
project it was impossible for the organizers to
promise me a particular site at an early enough
date to give me time to evolve a sculpture
specifically for it. This is one of the reasons why
I developed a project that would be adaptable
to sites of varying shapes. This did not require
a new kind of thinking for me as a considerable
number of my sculptures have already been
involved with a flexible ground plan (for
2 3
example 9 x 1, Sextet, Corrugations). What
does seem to be different in this sculpture from
anything I have previously done is the extent
to which any one view contradicts the
configuration and perspective of the other views.
From one unit of three 56 x 5 in. square
section I have a sculpture of a great many
variables —the spacial configuration of the
sculpture as set up, and the choice of the
configuration.
`Public sculpture' hangs around sculpture
like a guilt. Most of the significant sculpture of 4
this century has not been done for public
places—but a great deal of it could have been
put in public places with success, providing
that the public places were worthy of it, and
that the public would permit its survival.
Rodin's Balzac and Brancusi's Column are
examples of sculpture being both innovatory
and public. The problem of public sculpture is
largely with the public—not with sculpture. q

1-3 Work for Bluecoat Chambers, Liverpool
Brushed stainless steel, 6 units
8.8 metres length
4-9 Maquette
8
7 9

23