Antony Gormley (Contemporary Artists)

This work is a survey of the work of British sculptor, Antony Gormley, from 1979 to 1994, including sculptures, installations, prints and drawings. The book presents his works in a range of locations, ranging from the artist's studio to the Australian desert. They document single works and public commissions. Ernst Gombrich talks with the artist about the figure in sculpture and the state of modern art; John Hutchinson contributes a survey on Gormley's oeuvre to date; Lela B. Njatin writes a short essay on one work - the subject of her focus is "Field"; and Gormley selects the writings of St Augustine, on memory. The range of illustrations chart Gormley's earliest works using sources and materials ranging from slices of "Mothers Pride" to a shark, through his later works which concentrate on the human figure. Mostly cast from his own body, his lead and iron sculptures explore states of being, of sensory and cognitive perception. His public commissions are located in a range of sites, from the cyrpt of Winchester Cathedral, to the walls of Londonderry and a fjord on the Arctic Circle. The plates document the development of his works, with drawings and prints, individual sculptures in the gallery or studio, and on location. The book also contains documnetation of "Field". This is a sculpture comprising 35,000 terracotta figures which has appeared in cities as far apart as Ljubljana and Llandudno, Mexico and Montreal where local people have collaborated with the artist to create his work. The book is part of a series of studies of important artists of the late-20th century. Each title offers a comprehensive survey of the artist's work, providing analyses and multiple perspectives on contemporary art and its inspiration.