The perfect symbiosis of form and material
Viewed from every angle, this sculpture captivates the observer with ever-changing perspectives, constantly revealing new details of Cragg's highly dynamic composition. In the harmony of its irregularity, the artist presents himself as a master of the artistic fusion of form and material, allowing himself to be “taken on a journey” by the diverse materials (cf. Tony Cragg, in: exhibition catalog Parts of the World, Cologne 2016, p. 406). With great dynamic elegance and aesthetic perfection, Cragg shapes the material he uses here, stainless steel that glows like liquid silver, into a form that celebrates its qualities and opens up many different associations for the viewer's imagination. There is no perfect vantage point, as the sculptures reveal a different spectacular interplay of forms from every perspective, making it impossible to determine a front or back. The highly reflective stainless steel works—such as the piece offered here—add another dimension to the artwork by reflecting their surroundings and thus entering into contact with both the space and the viewer, inevitably intertwining them. “I believe that the material world is in a conversation with us all the time.” (Tony Cragg, quoted from: Our Choices Art, Tony Cragg. New Sculptures: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bompknGi9Qo&t=10s)



Decades of success
Tony Cragg is undoubtedly one of the internationally most celebrated British sculptors of the 21st century, with a career spanning several decades. He exhibited at documenta 7 and 8 in Kassel in the 1980s, represented the United Kingdom at the Venice Biennale, and received the prestigious Turner Prize. Before his artistic training, which included studies at the Wimbledon School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London, the young Tony Cragg worked briefly as a laboratory assistant in a research lab at the National Rubber Producers Research Association. Even then, his keen interest in natural sciences, chemistry, physics, genetics, and engineering was evident, finding expression in his work from the beginning, both in his ideas and titles and in the forms and materials he used.



Physical presence and dynamic movement
Cragg's works from the “Rational Beings” series, created in the 1990s, are reminiscent of the human spine in the broadest sense. Later sculptures, characterized by an array of curves and bulges, resemble organic structures or microorganisms, while other works, such as the more extreme, rhythmically moving “Dancing Columns” or “Points of View,” play with the laws of geometry, symmetry, and physics. Despite their impressive physical presence, they not only convey a sense of lightness, but as completely static structures, they often evoke a surprising impression of motion: “‘Static’ is an interesting word because it refers to a motionless object. At the same time, however, it informs us that there is no such thing. It suggests a different energy or potential, such as static electricity. The potential energy that is kept in check but still pushes forward.” (Tony Cragg, quoted from: Exhibition catalog Anthony Cragg. Parts of the World, Cologne 2016, p. 403)
The present “Runner” from 2017 also fascinates viewers with its transitory, momentary character: “Runner,” says Cragg, “conveys the feeling you have when you think you know where you're going, but you sense that you might be heading in the wrong direction. This doesn't just apply to minor personal matters, but is often also true of the major trends we sense around us.” (Quoted from: www.salzburgfoundation.at/kunstprojekt-krauthuegel-anthony-cragg-drei-neue-aussenskulpturen/)
Cragg succeeds in creating an apparent movement, a swirling effect, and a suspenseful mutability of the entire object through a wealth of curves, bulges, and bulges combined with the high-gloss surface reflections.

The fascination with the material was most recently explored in the highly acclaimed exhibition “Tony Cragg. Please Touch!” at the Kunstpalast in Düsseldorf in 2024, where visitors were invited to touch Tony Cragg's mesmerizing works. Other recent major exhibitions include those at the Musée du Louvre and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Royal Academy of Arts in London, the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, the Belvedere in Vienna, the Kunsthalle Bern, and the Benaki Museum in Athens. [CH]