Growth 1963

Editor: This is François Stahly's sculpture, "Growth," a bronze work held at the Tate. It's an abstract, organic form... almost like a seed sprouting. What do you see in this piece, especially concerning its material presence? Curator: The bronze speaks volumes. Consider the labor involved in its creation: the casting process, the manipulation of molten metal. It’s about transforming raw material into a symbolic form, a commodity even. How does that process influence our understanding of growth itself? Editor: I hadn’t thought about the "commodity" aspect. So, the inherent contradiction between the natural form and the industrial process? Curator: Exactly. Stahly harnesses industrial means to represent a natural process, blurring the lines between the manufactured and the organic. The consumption of art mirrors our consumption of nature, doesn't it? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It’s all about peeling back the layers of production.