Torso 1928

Editor: Here we have Dame Barbara Hepworth's "Torso," a stone sculpture, which appears quite small in scale. Its smooth, pale surface gives it a sense of quietude, but there's also a striking sense of absence. What do you think Hepworth was trying to convey? Curator: Ah, yes! For me, it’s all about feeling the weight of what isn't there, isn't it? She carves away, creating these absences that are somehow profoundly present. Hepworth seems to tap into a deeper sense of being. What do you feel when you look at it? Editor: I guess I feel the vulnerability of the human form. Like it's been stripped bare but is still standing strong. Curator: Precisely, it's the enduring spirit, beautifully abstracted!