''Turning Forms'' (BH 166) is a concrete sculpture by

Barbara Hepworth Dame Jocelyn Barbara Hepworth (10 January 1903 – 20 May 1975) was an English artist and sculptor. Her work exemplifies Modernism and in particular modern sculpture. Along with artists such as Ben Nicholson and Naum Gabo, Hepworth was a lea ...

, one of her first public commissions, made in 1950 for the

Festival of Britain The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition and fair that reached millions of visitors throughout the United Kingdom in the summer of 1951. Historian Kenneth O. Morgan says the Festival was a "triumphant success" during which people: ...

. It was one of two Hepworth commissions for the Festival: the other was a sculpture of abstract standing figures, ''

Contrapuntal Forms In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more Part (music), musical lines (or voices) which are harmonically interdependent yet independent in rhythm and Pitch contour, melodic contour. It has been most commonly identified in t ...

'', now in Harlow. ''Turning Forms'' has been sited at a school in

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roma ...

since 1953. Both of Hepworth's sculptures were listed at Grade II in 1998. Like most sculptures for the Festival of Britain, ''Contrapuntal Forms'' was commissioned by the Arts Council, but unusually ''Turning Forms'' was commissioned and paid for directly by the Festival board, at the instigation of the architect

Jane Drew Dame Jane Drew , (24 March 1911 – 27 July 1996) was an English modernist architect and town planner. She qualified at the Architectural Association School in London, and prior to World War II became one of the leading exponents of the Modern ...

, to complement her design for the

Thameside Restaurant Thameside could refer to: *Network Rail route name for the London, Tilbury and Southend line *Thameside (bus company) *Thameside (HM Prison) *Thameside Radio * Thameside Series of canoe and kayak races See also *Tameside The Metropolitan Boro ...

. Hepworth made the sculpture in collaboration with Drew, unusually adopting a Constructivist style reminiscent of the work of

Naum Gabo Naum Gabo, born Naum Neemia Pevsner (23 August 1977) (Hebrew: נחום נחמיה פבזנר), was an influential sculptor, theorist, and key figure in Russia's post-Revolution avant-garde and the subsequent development of twentieth-century scul ...

, such as his later kinetic sculpture '' Revolving Torsion''. Hepworth returned to a similar theme with a similarly-named drawing in 1957, held by

Kettle's Yard Kettle's Yard is an art gallery and house in Cambridge, England. The director of the art gallery is Andrew Nairne. Both the house and gallery reopened in February 2018 after an expansion of the facilities. Kettle's Yard galleries, shop and c ...

in Cambridge. ''Turning Firms'' is an abstract work which stands high. It comprises twisting loops of concrete, painted white, supported by a metal armature. The armature was fabricated in Plymouth and coated with a lightweight core of

vermiculite Vermiculite is a hydrous phyllosilicate mineral which undergoes significant expansion when heated. Exfoliation occurs when the mineral is heated sufficiently, and commercial furnaces can routinely produce this effect. Vermiculite forms by the we ...

then finished with layers of concrete added and shaped by Hepworth at her studio in St Ives. The surface finish is a white "Snowcrete"

Portland cement Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general use around the world as a basic ingredient of concrete, mortar, stucco, and non-specialty grout. It was developed from other types of hydraulic lime in England in the early 19th cen ...

, covered with a layer of white "Snowcem"

masonry paint Masonry is the building of structures from individual units, which are often laid in and bound together by mortar; the term ''masonry'' can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are bricks, building ...

, both products from

Blue Circle Blue Circle Industries was a British public company manufacturing cement. It was founded in 1900 as the Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers Ltd through the fusion of 24 cement works, mostly around on the Thames and Medway estuaries, toge ...

. The sculpture was exhibited outside the Thameside Restaurant at the Festival of Britain in 1951, near

Waterloo Bridge Waterloo Bridge () is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges. Its name commemorates the victory of the British, Dutch and Prussians at t ...

, mounted a motorised plinth that slowly completed a rotation in two minutes. The sculpture was acquired by

Hertfordshire County Council Hertfordshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hertfordshire, in England, the United Kingdom. After the 2021 election, it consists of 78 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Part ...

: at the time, the Council had embarked on an ambitious programme to build new schools, and acquired artworks to decorate them: for example, a cast of

Henry Moore Henry Spencer Moore (30 July 1898 – 31 August 1986) was an English artist. He is best known for his semi-abstract art, abstract monumental bronze sculptures which are located around the world as public works of art. As well as sculpture, Mo ...

's '' Family Group'' is on display at

Barclay Academy Barclay Academy is a secondary school and sixth form located in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. The current head teacher is Dr. Matthew Laban. Opening in 1949, it was the first purpose-built secondary school constructed in the UK after the ...

in Stevenage. Hepworth's sculpture has been sited at St Julian's School, now

The Marlborough Science Academy The Marlborough Science Academy is a secondary school and sixth form with Academy status, located in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. It has a specialism in science. The school has approximately 1,200 students and 80 teachers. Marlborough S ...

, in

since its opening in 1953. It was removed temporarily for conservation in October 2000, and then exhibited at the

Hepworth Wakefield The Hepworth Wakefield is an art museum in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, which opened on 21 May 2011. The gallery is situated on the south side of the River Calder and takes its name from artist and sculptor Barbara Hepworth who was born an ...

from May to November 2021 alongside ''

'' for the first time since 1951, before returning to the school.

References

Turning Forms sculpture outside Marlborough School
National Heritage List for England, Historic England

barbarahepworth.org.uk
''Turning Forms''
barbarahepworth.org.uk
Hepworth Statue
Marlborough Academy
''Turning Form'', 1957
Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge
Unusual Barbara Hepworth concrete sculpture restored and to be on view in Wakefield, 13 May 2021
Twentieth Century Society
Hepworth's Festival of Britain Sculptures Reunited for the First Time in 70 Years, 19 May 2021
The Hepworth Wakefield
Revisiting Turning Forms, Wednesday 22 September 2021
The Hepworth Wakefield {{coord, 51.73900, -0.34901, format=dms, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Sculptures by Barbara Hepworth Buildings and structures in St Albans 1950 sculptures Modernist sculpture Concrete sculptures Abstract sculpture Festival of Britain