Three Way Piece No. 2 (The Archer) 1965

Editor: Here we have Henry Moore's "Three Way Piece No. 2 (The Archer)", created in 1965. It’s cast in bronze and the shapes are so intriguing, like puzzle pieces fitted together. What catches your eye about it? Curator: Immediately, the emphasis on material and production comes to mind. This bronze, meant to represent an archer, isn't about replicating the figure. It's about process, about how Moore manipulated the molten bronze to achieve this particular form. Think about the foundries of the time, the labor involved, and the industry supporting artistic creation. Editor: So, it’s less about the archer and more about the making of the archer? Curator: Precisely. Moore pushes against the conventional boundaries of sculpture by foregrounding the materiality. How does the act of bronze casting – from mold to the final patina – shape our understanding of the piece? And consider its location; placed in a public square, it integrates the sculptural process directly into daily life. Editor: That's a really different way to view sculpture. It's like thinking about the assembly line as part of the art itself. Is it questioning craft? Curator: It disrupts the hierarchy between fine art and industrial production, yes. It's making us consider what labor contributes to what we admire and who does that labor. The ‘artist’ versus the foundry worker, for example, and the relationship of each in producing "high art". How are those traditional boundaries questioned by an industrial process made available in this public art setting? Editor: I never thought about it that way before. Thanks for enlightening me. I’ll start by researching the material and methods of sculpture to gain greater context for future installations! Curator: Consider the entire process, from the selection of materials to placement. It all speaks to how an artist like Moore challenges what constitutes "art."