The Screw 1975 - 1977

Curator: We’re looking at "The Screw" by Saloua Raouda Choucair, a sculpture held in the Tate Collections. Editor: It has a captivating, almost organic form despite its hard materiality. The interplay of textures and varied wood tones is remarkable. Curator: Absolutely. Choucair's construction is deeply methodical, reflecting an interest in mathematical principles as applied to abstract form. Consider the craftsmanship involved. Editor: Indeed. Thinking about process, the labor invested in carving and assembling those wooden elements speaks to a deliberate engagement with craft traditions and the inherent qualities of the wood itself. Curator: The individual elements achieve a harmonious whole; their relationship suggests a wider universal order. Editor: And in that assembly, there's a tension between the manufactured and the natural. The title itself implies industrial production, yet the hand-carved quality suggests a more intimate process. Curator: A synthesis, then, of seemingly disparate elements and ideas, beautifully realized. Editor: Precisely. An intriguing object lesson in balance.