ANTONY GORMLEY | Standing Matter XII

White Cube, London Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2009

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is slightly darker in the original and more uniform across the surface of the sculpture. The illustration fails to fully convey the textured qualities of the cast iron. Condition: Please refer to the department for a professional condition report.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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The early Standing Matters were made from separate hand-forged balls, welded together to form a loose matrix. This work is an early attempt to make a cast work from closely packed foam balls carved to accommodate the tightest fit. They nest and aggregate closely like bubbles or fish spawn. In this work I am attempting to bear witness to what it feels like to live in a body that is out of our control and subject to space, time and environment.

We now know more than we ever had about temporary nature of all material aggregation. In a quantum world, sculptural concerns over surface have to give way to our understanding of the relationship between mass and energy, and an admission of the precarious and provisional nature of all structures.

It is the attitude conveyed by the work that counts. Here is a ground onto which our uncertainties can be anchored. A ground onto which our sense of our own weight, vertical stance and liability to fall can be projected.

This work is as distinct from the idealised statue as possible. It represents the attempt of an individual to bear witness to the vicissitudes of subjective life.

Antony Gormley, January 2019