Composition

This sculpture, by master sculptor Henry Moore, sits in the middle of an intimate courtyard between the Crystals Mall, designed by Daniel Libeskind, and the Aria Hotel, designed by Cesar Pelli. The sloped glass wall to the north and the sun hitting the southern side of the work produces a captivating reflection—allowing the viewer to experience both sides of the work at a glance. This work, entitled Reclining Connected Forms, was carved from travertine and measures 10’ x 17’ x 8’.  Throughout his career, Moore focused on the composition of form and space as it relates to the human experience, specifically the human figure. Many of his pieces, including the one shown here, feature a reclining mother with child. This particular work is said to depict “a baby wrapped in its mother’s embrace.”  Others have suggested that the outer shell is the form of a pregnant mother protecting the new life growing within. Moore had an amazing career and is one of the most celebrated artists in the 20^th century—winning the International Prize for Sculpture at the 1948 Venice Biennale when he was 50 years old. 

Moore’s obsession with the reclining figure, which accounts for approximately 2/3 of his artistic output, was said to have started in 1924. He contended there were only three positions the human form could take: standing, sitting or lying down. He also believed that the reclining position gave him the most freedom to explore form and space. In addition, the subject matter allowed Moore to develop and explore the relationship between small, perhaps vulnerable, forms with larger more dominant ones. Exploring the powerful relationship between mother and child through form and space imbued his abstract compositions with meaning, speaking to our deepest emotions. He was obsessed with the expressive potential of composition—the relationship between form and space, interior and exterior surfaces. However, his genius was exploring the maternal bond—the first and most important human experience.  Study after study has shown this relationship develops the foundation for our mental and emotional health.