The Kiss (Column) 1935

Constantin Brâncuși made this sculpture using stone. I love the way Brâncuși has stacked these hewn rocks, and I love that he calls it 'The Kiss'. It feels so basic, so reduced, like, what is a kiss? I imagine him in his studio, thinking about love. He's got a hammer and chisel in his hands, and he's working the stone, trying to find the essence of two people coming together. The stone is rough, and the shapes are simple—a cube, a cylinder, another cube—but the way they fit together, like a puzzle, suggests something deeper. I see the influence of folk art, the tradition of carving simple shapes with profound meaning. Each block is carved with geometric forms; they come together in the meeting of something so universal as a kiss. It’s about touch, connection, and the beauty of simple forms. And for Brâncuși, the material itself holds the key.