''Ego Geometria Sum'' is an artwork created by British artist,

Helen Chadwick Helen Chadwick (18 May 1953 – 15 March 1996) was a British sculptor, photographer and installation artist. In 1987, she became one of the first women artists to be nominated for the Turner Prize. Chadwick was known for "challenging stereotypic ...

between 1982 and 1983. The work consisted of ten geometric plywood structures, in the shape of objects associated with Chadwick's past. Black and white naked photographs of the artist as well as locations associated with the objects were printed on the surface of the objects. The objects represent the mass of the artist's body at a progression of ages, from premature birth to maturity at age 30. These objects include a 'Incubator - birth', 'Font - 3 months', 'Pram - 10 months', 'Boat - 2 years', 'Wigwam - 5 years', 'Bed - 6 3/4 years', 'Piano - 9 years', 'Horse - 11 years', 'High School - 13 years' and 'Statue - 15–30 years'. Chadwick chose to not show her face in any of the images on the structures to allow a universality to the work even though it is heavily autobiographical, Chadwick wanted to find universal laws within the chaos of an individual life. The structures were place directly on the gallery floor and were organised in a spiral formation. Surrounding the objects was an enclosed space on three sides by flesh coloured curtains, which suggests a theatrical staging of the past in geometric form. It was first displayed in June 1983 at the

Serpentine Gallery The Serpentine Galleries are two contemporary art galleries in Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Central London. Recently rebranded to just Serpentine, the organisation is split across Serpentine South, previously known as the Serpentine Gallery, ...

's group exhibition, 'Summer Show I' and was originally entitled 'Growing Pains'. The Latin title ''Ego Geomtria Sum'' - I am Geometry - had already been conceived by Chadwick before its first exhibition, but was not used formally until it was exhibited at the Art and Research Exchange (A.R.E) in Belfast during November 1983. Shortly after the work was first exhibited, Chadwick in collaboration with photographer, Mark Pilkington, created a series of ten photographs called ''Ego Geometria Sum: The Labours.'' In each photograph Chadwick is shown naked either holding or somehow interacting with each structure of ''Ego Geometria Sum,'' alluding to the

labours of Hercules The Labours of Hercules or Labours of Heracles ( grc-gre, οἱ Ἡρακλέους ἆθλοι, ) are a series of episodes concerning a penance carried out by Heracles, the greatest of the Greek heroes, whose name was later romanised as ...

''.'' In later installations of the work these photographs were displayed between curtains on the gallery wall.

Background and concept

Chadwick decided to give her full attention to the idea of an autobiographical project early in 1982. This was in response to what she wrote in her notebooks as a "need for the indulgence of going back to rescue "I" from severity and cruelty adopted as a means of surviving now." She claimed to feel alienated from her practice due to her earlier collaborative projects. She resolved to counter this by "welcoming the warm yet lost flow of memory." Chadwick read

Arthur Koestler Arthur Koestler, (, ; ; hu, Kösztler Artúr; 5 September 1905 – 1 March 1983) was a Hungarian-born author and journalist. Koestler was born in Budapest and, apart from his early school years, was educated in Austria. In 1931, Koestler join ...

's book ''

The Sleepwalkers Sleepwalker(s) or The Sleepwalker(s) may refer to: * Sleepwalking or somnambulism, a sleep disorder Film and television Films * ''The Sleepwalker'' (1922 film), an American silent film directed by Edward LeSaint * ''The Sleepwalker'' (1942 film ...

: A History of Man's Changing Vision of the Universe'' during her research for this project. The earlier title, 'Growing Pains' was derived from the title of the third chapter in ''Part Four: The Watershed'' which tracks the discoveries of astronomer,

Johannes Kepler Johannes Kepler (; ; 27 December 1571 – 15 November 1630) was a German astronomer, mathematician, astrologer, natural philosopher and writer on music. He is a key figure in the 17th-century Scientific Revolution, best known for his laws ...

. In both titles of the work, Chadwick was alluding to Kepler's theory of the universe as a cosmic design that is made by God and governed by the principles of

geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...

.The geometric structures and spiral formation of ''Ego Geometria Sum'' were inspired by this worldview. Ten structures were used because the number ten is considered sacred in Pythagorean theory of numerical harmony. Chadwick wrote "if geometry is an expression of eternal and exact truths... then let this model of mathematical harmony be infused with a poetry of feeling and memory to sublimate the discord of past passion and desire in a recomposed neutrality of being.”

Critical reception

With this work Chadwick wanted to free the ego from the traumas of the past. This idea was continued in Chadwick's later work, ''

The Oval Court ''The Oval Court'' is an artwork created between 1984 and 1986 by British artist Helen Chadwick. The work was part of Chadwick's first major solo exhibition entitled Of Mutability, held at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. Chadwick rec ...

'' where the ego is dissolved. ''Ego Geometria Sum'' received positive critical responses and was exhibited widely between 1983 and 1985. The work's success marked a turning point for Chadwick as an artist and she became firmly established in the contemporary British art world.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ego Geometria Sum 1983 in art 1983 sculptures Works by Helen Chadwick Feminist art Installation art Self-portraits