Gill Gatfield ‘The Kiss’
2mH x 3mDia. Indian black granite
at Sculpture by the Sea Aarhus Denmark July 2015
Artwork and video © Gill Gatfield Artist New Zealand
Music © Calmness by Madoka Ogitani Japan
Carved from a stone with origins as solidified magma from the Earth's core, a modern text message (x) multiples into a monumental love-mark. Inspired by primitive markings found in Palaeolithic caves, 'The Kiss' imprints universal human DNA, the female chromosome X, on the land. Like an ancient stone circle, people are drawn into the folds of the sculpture, enchanted by the play of light, brilliant reflections, abstract composition, and maze-like form. Its method of construction enacts a kiss: twin granite panels interlock and are separated by a sliver of air – the breath in a kiss. This coupling creates an abstract figure that celebrates connectivity while enabling freedom of movement, unlike 'The Kiss' as visualised by Rodin, Brancusi, Munch and Klimt. Presented in Denmark at the centenary of women's right to vote, The Kiss proposes a partnership of equals.
The Kiss 2015
absoluto nero/black granite
2mH x 3mDia. (4 tonnes)
Winner CODAawards 2017 Landscape Category
CODAawards 2017 Top 100 Public Art Projects
Sculpture by the Sea, Aarhus Denmark 2015
SCAPE Public Art, New Zealand 2016-2017
