The Story of Sculpture
Author: Anthony Gormley/Martin Gayford
Translator: Ke Wang
Edition: Republic of China, Guangxi Normal University Press
May 2021
Tribute
What is sculpture? Sculptor Anthony Gormley and art historian Martin Gayford had a conversation that lasted 18 years. In their eyes, sculpture is a solid substance, but also the void of light; sculpture is a frozen moment, but also the flow of time and space; sculpture is a contemplation of death, but also a vigorous burst of vitality; sculpture is the bearer of imagination, but also a way of thinking that does things. The theme of their conversation, spanning regions, cultures and contexts, links tens of millions of years of sculpture, by elaborating on "what sculpture is" and then asking the more ambitious proposition of "what is human beings".
We pay tribute to "The Story of Sculpture", pay tribute to its in-depth exploration of the complex emotions and diverse aesthetics that sculpture art can contain, and also pay tribute to its bold exploration of the long time and vast space that sculpture art can touch. As author Gormley says, sculpture is still an important way for us to question the world in this virtual digital age.
Thank you
The book "The Story of Sculpture" is presented by two close friends in the form of a dialogue. As a sculptor, Gormley's language style is very vivid, poetic and imagery, and focuses on the intuitive experience of creating and appreciating art; while Gafford, as a researcher, has a precise and condensed language, cites scriptures, and has a very large amount of information. These two people can be said to be on an equal footing and complement each other. Unlike previous sculpture histories, each dialogue in this book is centered on one or two core concepts or keywords. Most importantly, the book greatly broadens the concept of sculpture, defining sculpture as a way of thinking that works in terms of things, and the sculptor uses the language of space to explore the relationship between man and the universe.
The translation of this book was mainly carried out from the end of 2020 to the beginning of 2021, when the new crown epidemic was developing severely, I was stranded overseas and sheltered at home, and the translation of this book brought me great psychological comfort and support. I am very grateful to the judges of the Beijing News and the majority of readers for their recognition of this book, and hope that I will have the opportunity to give back to you with more mature and excellent translations in the future! Thank you!
——Wang Ke (translator)
Editor | Zhang Jin
Proofreading | Xue Jingning