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Epstein's Rock Drill L Transformed by War

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Epstein's Rock Drill L Transformed by War Between 1909 and 1916, Rock Drill is no exception. Not only excluded from his oeuvre. In 1940, moving in the opposite direction. has been praised as representing Jacob Epstein (1880-1959) does the head of the drill appear remembering the devastation of This has had an impact on his legacy. ‘a dramatic, revolutionary moment created his most radical as a powerful phallic symbol; the First World War in the context After his death in 1959, Epstein’s when sculpture in Britain first work. His early, naturalistic the driller’s ribcage contains of the Second World War, Epstein contribution to modern British became uncompromisingly modern’ sculptures and drawings an unexpected foetal form. described Rock Drill as ‘the armed sculpture was overshadowed by (Richard Cork, 2009). Whilst there is gave way to a more abstract, Its presence is ambiguous – is sinister figure of to-day and to- more abstract sculptors such as truth in this - Rock Drill is undeniably geometric and modern style Epstein suggesting that the new morrow. No humanity, only the Henry Moore (1898-1986) and revolutionary and hugely important which culminated in Rock machine-age will bring with it a terrible Frankenstein’s monster Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975). - it is interesting to reflect whether Drill (c.1913), his most daring renaissance, or, is he questioning we have made ourselves into.’ Interestingly, in 1973, an article a sculpture that was destroyed by avant-garde sculpture. whether the vulnerable organic in The Times proposed that ‘if its maker and reconstructed almost Part of the reason for the form will mature into a robot as Two of Epstein’s close friends someone were to reconstruct 60 years later should be considered stylistic shift in Epstein’s dehumanised as the driller himself? were killed during the war. Henri the original version of Rock Drill as his greatest achievement. work was the influence Gaudier-Brzeska, a fellow sculptor, it could substantially change the of other modern artists. Persistently praised as his was only 23 when he died in 1915 history of the modern movement.’ The sculpture’s un-making is as In 1912, Epstein spent six masterpiece; it seems extraordinary and the philosopher T.E. Hulme The sculpture exhibited here important as its making. Examining months in Paris where he that Epstein destroyed the original was writing a book about Epstein is a reconstruction made in the moment that Epstein destroyed became friends with Pablo Rock Drill. He discarded the drill when he was called up and killed 1974 with the consent of his Rock Drill not only reveals the Picasso, Constantin Brancusi and mutilated the figure to create in battle in 1917. Epstein appealed widow, Kathleen Garman. impact of the First World War, it and Amedeo Modigliani Torso in Metal from Rock Drill (c.1915- for exemption from military also provides insights into Epstein’s whose cutting-edge art was Reproduction of Rock Drill at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, date/ 16). The First World War partially service but was finally conscripted Arguably, the reconstruction sculptural philosophy. In 1940, bound to influence him. photographer unknown, Epstein Archive, The New Art Gallery Walsall explains Epstein’s destruction of less than one month after has not substantially altered Epstein reflected that Rock Drill: Rock Drill. Conceived before war losing his second friend. Epstein modernist history; but it has had was declared, Rock Drill stood as a suffered a mental breakdown a significant impact on Epstein’s Rock Drill combines a plaster figure by artists and that sculpture celebration of modern machinery the night before his battalion reputation. On the one hand, the was really child’s play… far of a robotic rock-driller perched traditionally reproduced natural and masculine power and energy. were mobilised and was released resurrected sculpture triggered a removed from the nature of on top of a rock drill. Epstein’s forms such as the human body. In contrast, the disfigured Torso from the army on 25 July 1918. reappraisal of Epstein, situating the aesthetic experience and innovative use of an actual drill in Metal from Rock Drill has been him at the forefront of avant-garde makes Rock Drill an early example of Rock Drill also connects with likened to the wounded soldiers The war-time context does not fully sculpture and challenging the satisfaction that sculpture a readymade, created the same year Epstein’s passion for so-called returning home from the front line. explain Epstein’s dismantling of neglect he suffered after his death. should give. When I returned as Marcel Duchamp’s famous Bicycle ‘primitive’ art and his extensive his most revolutionary sculpture. On the other hand, Rock Drill - a to a normal manner of Wheel (1913). Duchamp believed collection of African objects. The First World War was the first The destruction of Rock Drill is a sculpture that Epstein deliberately working, and was so bold as that ordinary, manufactured objects Epstein was clearly inspired by the industrialised, global conflict. New pivotal moment in Epstein’s career. destroyed - is hailed as his greatest again to carve and model a could be elevated to the status of simplified, angular appearance of inventions including the tank and He did not just abandon the work; achievement, overshadowing face with its features, the art simply by being selected by some of his African carvings which rapid-fire machine gun claimed a he destroyed it, turning his back other aspects of his career. an artist and exhibited in an art he adapted and transformed into his horrific number of victims and as on experimental, abstract art and advanced critics spoke of my gallery. This was a revolutionary robotic man-machine. In addition, soon as the devastating power of returning to figurative sculpture. Exhibited once in 1915, the original having ‘thrown up the sponge.’ idea at the turn of the 20th century many of these carvings were fertility such weapons was realised, it was The history of modern sculpture Rock Drill was only seen by a small I was lost to the movement. and it had a huge impact on statues and Epstein was fascinated no longer possible to see Rock Drill emphasises the movement away number of people. In contrast, the I feel easy about this. sculpture, challenging the idea that by the themes of procreation and in a positive light. Epstein came from figuration and towards reconstruction has featured in a artworks were entirely handcrafted sexuality throughout his career. to the conclusion that it should be abstraction, meaning Epstein was number of exhibitions where it a fragment of an ancient artwork Rock Drill’s case, not seen at all. Exhibition tour that used to be part of a lost whole. Epstein had no control over the Saturday 3 October, 2pm resurrection or reappraisals of the Join Epstein Research Assistant American art historian George sculpture that he destroyed. We Elin Morgan for an in-depth Kubler likened ancient artworks can question whether a sculpture look at the exhibition to ‘dead stars’. He argued that that was deliberately destroyed even though they might have by its maker should be described been destroyed, lost or decayed as his greatest achievement, but over time, we know they existed we can also question whether and should still consider them the artist’s intention is more, to be masterpieces. He believed less, or equally as important as that the quality of such missing what we think about artworks masterpieces is determined by the when we look at them. statements that have been made about them, and the existence Elin Morgan 4 September 2015 — 24 January 2016 of copies and reproductions. This Epstein Research Assistant approach can be applied to Rock August 2015 Drill. It is almost as if although Epstein was determined that his original sculpture should not survive, it was kept alive in a state of suspended animation in the Jacob Epstein, Study For Rock Drill, c.1913, charcoal on paper, comments of artists and writers The Garman Ryan Collection, The New Art Gallery Walsall until it was ‘reanimated’ in 1974. Such a science fiction analogy seems particularly apt for the Epstein clearly did not consider futuristic, robotic Rock Drill. Rock Drill to be part of his oeuvre. However, even before it was It has also been argued that a reconstructed, we knew of its spectator’s opinion of an artwork existence through photographs, is just as important as the artist’s The New Art Gallery Walsall Cover image ~ Jacob Epstein with Torso in Metal from Rock Drill, unknown photographer, c.1952, Epstein Archive, The New Art preparatory drawings and Epstein’s and that the significance of a Gallery Square Walsall WS2 8LG Gallery Walsall own words when he wrote about it work of art ‘lies not in its origin in his autobiography and discussed but in its destination’ (Roland 01922 654400 it with friends. A huge number Barthes, 1977). In other words, thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk of commentators, from across a the importance of an artwork is century, have also written about determined by its audience rather Rock Drill, and the mutilated Torso in than its creator. The artist is not Metal from Rock Drill also reminds necessarily the best judge of how us of the original sculpture - like an artwork should be seen, or, in Exhibition guide.
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