Tony Cragg

Description

The eye is immediately drawn to the vivid colour of this sculpture. The bright turquoise finish gives it an immediately aquatic feel, reminiscent of Victorian fountains. From the front, the form is Piscean and full of movement, with a head similar to early Japanese depictions of carp. The writhing body is serpentine in its movement and has a long, flowing, scarf-like dorsal fin that enhances the soft curves and twist of this creature. This smooth frill parts and angles like a thin floating skin or skein of silk. However, from the other sides, Cragg has simplified the form, giving it a mechanoid appearance to the right and creating a giant knot-like structure from the back. This semi-abstraction is reminiscent of early futurism and draws the eye around the form, from pure angle and smooth surface to soft detail. The overall effect of this is to enhance the motion contained within and produced by the piece. This, in turn, creates an interesting intricacy.

On a Roll seems, then, to be an evocation of complex movement. It is reminiscent of the Ouroboros, the snake that eats its tail, or of Celtic knot symbols, both of which are symbols of eternity. As fish and sea serpents are also featured widely in ancient mythology, this work creates an aura of mysticism, whilst the creature's single eye has an air of calm, even melancholy. Perhaps, then, this work, with its watery contemplation, is a meditative journey into the complex turns of life, time and fate.

The title, however, does not only imply the head-over-heels motion of the work. As with many of his other titles, Cragg uses a phrase that also has colloquial meaning. To be "on a roll" means to be enjoying a run of luck or success. Is this work a jubilant somersault over his continuing success and creative ability? Perhaps he is referencing the enduring nature of bronze or the lasting appeal of sculpture? An ambiguous piece, the shape and texture beg the viewer to engage with it and ask these questions for themselves.