Art History response to stimulus ‘Concrete’
‘Reclining Figure 1932 (LH 122)’ 1932 by Henry Moore
One of the most celebrated artists of the 20th Century, Henry Moore grew up in Yorkshire, studying at the Royal College of Art in London. He was greatly inspired by ancient sculpture from Africa, Pre-Columbian America and Southern Europe; the organic and undefined features of this art translate directly into his sculptural work. Moore's work comes in a wide range of materials, all with different visual, practical and environmental properties. His piece titled ‘Reclined Figure 1932(LH 122)’ is one of a series of reclined figures, all in different materials and with noticeable form alterations. The material chosen for Reclined Figure 1932 is concrete, Moore was able to ensure that through use of material his piece would fully replicate the properties of ancient stone as seen in his works of inspiration. By pouring concrete with a mixture of red and brown pigments into a mold with a steel skeleton, he was able to create a piece that resembled the natural mixture of earth types within rock with structural integrity. Moore then carved away at the rough cast once out of its mold to create a smooth, lustrous piece with detail where required, such as the facial features and hands. Using concrete instead of stone not only saved money, as purchasing dense stone of that size would be high in cost, but also in time, as most of the process forming the structure is an additive one, rather than subtractive, this also reduces material wastage and despite being made from concrete, could likely be more environmentally friendly.
