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Crouch, Touch, Pause…Sculpture that engages with a mighty shove factor

Auckland artist Alex Stone has a topical take on the mythology of manhood, and the mad passion that is about to envelope New Zealand, with his new sculpture series Forms 1 & 2 (with more to come). A take that is both affectionate and irreverent.

Form 1 is currently on display at the Kaipara Coast Sculpture Gardens near Kaukapakapa, and Form 2 will be at the Hamilton Museum’s Rugby World Cup exhibition, which opened on 23 July.

Based on a familiar form within the vernacular of our material culture, the sculptures add a further dimension of social and environmental commentary. Stone’s playful aesthetic has another aspect to it, with the scrum machine form meshing with symbols of NZ‘s rural landscape, and our perceived economic cash cows.

The result is a real-world sculpture, not afraid of being handled – in fact Forms 1 & 2 positively invites audience interaction.

Come try pushing me, they say.

Arts patrons at the opening of the Kaipara exhibition were seen to respond to the challenge, and get downright physical.

They had no show of moving Form 1, a Herculean task for ordinary humans as it is actually twice the size and many times the weight of the usual scrum machine.

This is Stone’s way of pointing to our national heritage of imposing giant status on our sports heroes, and of elevating them to superhuman expectations. “And we all know where that can lead”, says Stone “so you could say these monumental works are also about human frailty.”

Darryl Pike, Manager Collections at the Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato says of the sculpture “The arrival of Form 2 is perfectly timed to coincide with the launch of our rugby exhibition Red, Yellow (All) Black – A Local Look at our National Game on the 23 July.

The work will be enjoyed by our many visitors to the city for the Rugby World Cup and will give them much to consider”.

Says Stone of the Forms: “The pieces may differ subtly one from another, but the essential form remains constant.

The sled that forgoes the development of the axle and the wheel.

The great padded shoulders, defiantly, boldly, blindly staring back at the curious world. They are extra spooky in the moonlight.

“They speak redolently of mystery, of inexplicable usage – they hint at medieval torture instruments, road-building from the eons before roads, or siege machines. They sit silently at the corners of so many paddocks, and are the enduring take-home mystery for the observant cultural tourist to these isles.”