About this artwork

This is one of a number of works by Wilding that feature two connected yet dissimilar parts. The carved form is rounded, warm and sensual, like an animal or a snail, and contains a small pool of beeswax. This contrasts with the cold, smooth constructed steel structure, which is obviously man-made, with the bolts clearly visible. The relationship between the two elements is uncertain; the steel structure suggests a human figure and it seems that the smaller form is obstructing the path of the larger one. There may also be a suggestion of a relationship , such as exists between mother and child.

Updated before 2020

  • artist:
    Alison Wilding (born 1948) English
  • title:
    Hand to Mouth
  • date created:
    1986
  • materials:
    Leaded steel, brass; wood, lead, beeswax
  • measurements:
    200.00 x 54.00 x 55.00 cm (part one size); 29.00 x 47.50 x 32.00 cm (part two size)
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    Presented by the Contemporary Art Society (Henry Moore Foundation Grant) 1992
  • accession number:
    GMA 3661
  • gallery:
  • subject:
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Alison Wilding

Alison Wilding