Metamorphosis

‘Approaching the different and manifold sequences in this book... one will gradually come to realise that metamorphosis can become an ideal for knowledge, a guiding path for self-knowledge and knowledge of the world – as intuitive contemplation and as artistic creation.’ – Dr Peter Wolf What is metamorphosis? Through the medium of art, sculptor Gertraud Goodwin invites us to enter the realm of time and continuously changing movement in this highly original book. With chapters by various artists and writers, interwoven with her key insights, Goodwin offers numerous points of entry to understanding the mystery of metamorphosis. Profusely-illustrated in colour, we are shown many sequences of images – of sculptures, reliefs and graphic works – which, with the aid of informed commentary, we are invited to ‘read’. These images belong together, developing from one to the next – just as single experiences and events in life belong to our biographies. One motif, one movement, passes through all stages, from simple beginnings and more differentiated formations, to a culmination – and, from there, back to a more mature simplicity and concentration, which makes a new beginning possible. ‘In relation to the transcendent, where ordinary words fail, the language of form, texture and relations in space, like those of music in time, offer alternatives to words, perhaps less encumbered by preconceptions. These pages offer many examples of the beauties and mysteries of metamorphosis, which is itself an essential component of Nature’s creative language.’ – Dr Philip Kilner