Large Metamorphic Venus

The figure of Venus has been radically simplified, transformed into a sting ray- or spade-like form. The artist used the sculpture's flat, broad surface as if a canvas: delicate lines cut into the bronze can be read as arms, eyes, and even a navel. Although the large, three-dimensional form can be viewed from all sides, from directly in front and quite close-up, the viewer can best appreciate the sculpture's rich, brown patina and the gentle cuts into the bronze. William Turnbull's sculpture from the late 1970s and the 1980s evoke both the human form--torsos or mask-like heads--as well as archeological objects like ritual figurines. The shape of this sculpture is both that of a figure and of an ancient arrowhead. The figural character of the work is emphasized further by the artist's choice of title--Venus--the Roman goddess synonymous in the history of art with the female form.