Bust of Annette IX c. 1964 - 1966

This is Alberto Giacometti's 'Bust of Annette IX,' and it was created using bronze. You can see the artist's hand in the texture of the surface, all those little marks. I wonder what it was like for Giacometti, building this face up from nothing, coaxing Annette’s features out of the clay, bit by bit. It’s amazing how a single gesture, the way the clay is pinched around the eyes, can communicate so much. Giacometti’s sculptures are so distinctive, but it seems like he's been looking at ancient Roman busts. There's a bit of Rodin in there too, that rough surface feels so modern. Artists are always talking to each other across time, aren't they? This sculpture feels so open-ended, like it could be so many things. It embraces uncertainty. And that's what makes it so exciting.