Dimensions: 2337 x 597 x 635 mm
Copyright: © The Eduardo Paolozzi Foundation | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: Let's discuss Eduardo Paolozzi's sculpture, "Konsul," residing here at the Tate. It's a powerful stacked form over two meters tall. What's your immediate take? Editor: It feels like a modern totem, burdened by the weight of industrial memory, those geometric shapes hinting at ancient symbols. Curator: Precisely. Paolozzi used found materials, challenging distinctions between art and manufacturing. He celebrated ordinary labor. Editor: Those urn-like shapes atop are curious—suggesting vessels of knowledge, perhaps? There's a connection to past civilizations, even in these recycled materials. Curator: It’s the interplay of material and symbol, isn’t it? Paolozzi presents the remnants of industry as emblems of a shared, evolving culture. Editor: It makes you consider how objects accrue meaning over time, shifting from mere function to powerful cultural markers. Curator: Indeed, Paolozzi has transformed base materials into something profound. Editor: A potent reminder of the stories embedded in our surroundings.
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During the early 1960s, Paolozzi’s sculptures became tower block-like totems recalling brutalist architecture and the industrial machine. Stimulated by Germany’s tradition of engineering and architecture encountered during his time as a visiting professor in Hamburg (1960-62), he began to construct templates out of plywood which were then manufactured as machined units at the foundry. These, along with standard machine parts ordered from catalogues, were then taken to a factory where they were assembled, ‘like ships’, according to the artist’s instructions. Gallery label, September 2016
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