And the Birds Began to Sing 1964

Editor: This is Phillip King’s 1964 sculpture, "And the Birds Began to Sing," constructed from painted metal. It looks like a series of nested, truncated cones in black and vibrant orange. It’s quite striking; what draws your eye when you look at it? Curator: It's a fascinating piece, especially when considering the materiality. Think about metal in 1964 – an industrial material, right? King co-opts this, then disrupts its inherent nature. Editor: Disrupts how? Curator: He’s taken the cold, rigid properties of metal and molded it into something almost playful, even organic. The nesting shapes and bright colours soften the expected industrial feel. Did the means of production liberate Phillip King, perhaps from the societal constrants prevalent at the time? The work makes the material of metal almost invisible with form and color. Editor: I see what you mean. It's less about the steel itself, more about the forms he can create with it, like origami. The orange interior spaces are interesting. Why highlight the inside, instead of the exterior? Curator: Precisely! King isn't just working *with* metal, he’s challenging our perception of what sculpture can be. It isn't solid. We contemplate the external forces used to paint and form it. Look how smoothly that steel must have been molded! He wants us to consider space itself as material. What kind of statement does it make for society's material standards, when art challenges and explores form, color and, most importantly, space? Editor: It definitely makes me rethink what I expect from metal and sculpture in general. I’d never thought about space as material. Thanks, that's really helpful! Curator: My pleasure. Seeing art this way – examining the materials and the means of production – opens up a whole new understanding.