Antony Gormley Close Ⅲ 1993

Face down on the ground, a body lies arms and legs spread wide. A number of artistic interpretations are possible with this sculpture; perhaps it alludes to the weight of one’s own body or to the movement of the planet; perhaps it’s an image of celestial bodies communing with us, or a symbol of fear being exposed to the harsh light of the universe. Antony Gormely began making works like this one in the 1980’s, works which were meant to be shown in the open, by transferring his own flesh into sculpture. He modeled this work on his own body, and forged the sculpture out of 1 tonne of 1500℃ liquid iron, at that temperature, hot as the magma at the core of the Earth. Gormely says that the human body is a part of the Earth; one unit of nature. By stripping away any features or personality and leaving behind only a representation of naked, universal existence, he teaches us that the universe and humankind are one.