fig. 4 Julio González, Maternité, 1934. Tate, London
La Concha Bay, San Sebastián, Spain fig. 5 Jorge Oteiza, Construcción Vacía, 1957 fig. 6 Eduardo Chillida, Peine del Viento, 1976
Here, Novatt developed the fundamentals of his trade, returning after graduation to work at the school as a sculpture assistant. In addition to working in the school’s quarries on the slopes of the Luberon Massif, where he recalls carving with students in 100-degree heat, Novatt spent several months in Umbria developing his skills carving marble. This foundation in carving is critical to his practice both in the metaphysical sense of his shaping of space but also in the literal sense of his making. Novatt carves each of his linear struts in wax before casting them in bronze, or cuts them from steel bars using a cutting torch to carve each one. ‘I’m not overly interested in the technology of tools,’ he says. ‘I prefer to see my hand in a work and carving brings an unknown element, which frequently leads to something. Ultimately, however, I focus on “drawing” the form of the sculpture, which is most essential.’ This skilled side to Novatt’s practice complements his formal inventiveness and suggests associations with the work of other artists and beyond to the wider tradition and history of sculpture itself. While situating his work as part of a movement, or -ism, is fundamentally reductionist, Novatt’s practice has indications of what we might intuit as a point of contact, an empathy that identifies with tradition. For example, associations can be made through welding to the work
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