Artwork description:

As part of the exhibition Barbara Hepworth: Art & Life, The Hepworth Wakefield has commissioned artist Tacita Dean to create a new artwork, Significant Form. For the commission, Dean has selected 130 postcards from her found postcard collection, which she has gathered at flea markets over many decades. The images have been re-photographed and photochemically hand-printed at various scales and on a variety of papers. Inspired by her shared interests with Hepworth, Dean selected images that depicted a representation of, or potential for, sculptural form, creating an intuitive journey through objects and formations found in the natural world, to others made by artists across time. In addition to the commission Dean has generously selected one of the works from the installation to be reproduced as a limited edition, with all profits supporting the ambitious learning and exhibition programmes at the gallery.

Tacita Dean was introduced to the work of Barbara Hepworth and the St Ives School of artists while studying at Falmouth School of Art. She found a particular affinity with Hepworth’s interest in Cornish landscapes, the natural rock formations, the coastal paths and the ancient standing stones. Like Hepworth, Dean is also drawn to the notion of ‘truth to materials’, observing: ‘The medium itself will give you something entirely unexpected, and something far better than you intended.’ By using analogue materials and techniques, Dean is guided by the specific qualities of the mediums she works with, embracing the unpredictability of the making process.

Materials used:

Hand-printed photochemical colour photograph printed on Fuji flex paper, mounted on paper

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