Evolving Human Form Henry Moore Retrospective Shows Move From Figuration to Abstraction by Serena Lei Henry Mooreís ìKnife Edge Mirror Two Pieceî was installed in front of the East Building of the National Gallery of Art when it opened in 1978. It is a tremendous sculpture consisting of two bronze pieces, one with a sharp, polished knifeís edge and one with a flat oval representing the mirror. The trouble with large-scale public art is that it risks becoming meaninglessóa generalization of the artistís work, a tourist landmark that dominates through size and familiarity. The current exhibit at the National Gallery of Art serves to remedy this problem by presenting a thoughtful retrospective of Mooreís career. It presents Mooreís evolution from figuration to abstraction and from small-scale carvings to large-scale public works. Henry Moore, one of Britainís most prominent artists, began his career in the 1920s. He was influenced early on by African and pre-Columbian art and the connection between figure and landscape. One of his first reclining figures is a carving of a woman leaning on her elbow, purposely rem iniscent of the Aztec god Chacmool. When Moore sticks to what he does best, he does it exceedingly well. His reclining figures are relaxed, with smooth, round lines, bringing a sensuality out of the rock. In the 1930s, Mooreís sculpture became more abstract. The female form is still clearly evident, sometimes only with a raised bump for a head, a swell of breasts and elongated arms. They are beautifully reminiscent of plants, organic forms or landscapeóa desert with hills, an eroded rock shoreline. However, when he throws in strings, the strict lines come across as unnatural, as if someone else were imitating Moore with their own twist. His style is so distinctive that when he deviates from it, the result feels incorrect. (This is particularly evident in ìCrucifixionî (1982), which, seen alongside the rest of Mooreís work, seems accidental to the collection.) Moore also favored mother-child themes and family groups, ranging from the literal ìMaternityî (1924) to the conceptual ìMother and Childî (1938). In the latter, one element of the piece hovers over a smaller element, protecting it. The sculptures have been described as nurturing, often with one figure wrapped inside the ìarmsî of another figure. The birth of Mooreís only child, Mary, in 1946 inspired the artist to create more family-oriented pieces. ìFamily Groupî (1948-1949), a bronze sculpture of a mother and father embracing a child, is one of Mooreís most well-known works. In contrast to his warm family pieces and the sensuality of his reclining figures, Mooreís work during the í40s and í50s explored darker themes. In part because of a lack of materials, Moore began sketching instead of sculpting. He became popular for his drawings of Londoners sleeping in mummified rows, hiding in tube shelters during air raids. In 1941, he was appointed war artist and asked to document the efforts of coal miners. After the war, Moore created ìWarrior with Shieldî (1953-1954), an anguished, broken figure with stumps for arms and legs, attempting to protect itself with his shield. It is a figure unlike any other Moore had created before. For an artist who spent his entire career celebrating the human figure, here is a work of art that showed a body destroyed. During his early period, Moore believed only in carving directly from natural materials and refused to use clay or bronze. Later, Moore abandoned this notion and began working in bronze. This was particularly necessary for his large-scale outdoor works, which were in high demand after the war. His public works were experiments in size and scale. Toward the end of his career, he was creating monumental sculptures such as ìOval with Pointsî (1968-1970) and ìArch Formî (1970), although he maintained his fascination with the human figure. The beauty in this retrospective is watching how Mooreís art evolved. The exhibition includes about 165 of Mooreís sketches, carvings, plasters and maquettes so we can see how he developed an idea into its final product. Also on display are a collection of shells, bones, rocks and driftwood that Moore kept in his studio to use as inspiration. Scattered among the collection are tiny models of reclining figuresóround shoulders like smooth pebbles, hollows and curves like eroded coralótaking on the shape of the objects that inspired him. The Henry Moore retrospective is on display at the National Gallery of Art until Jan. 27 from Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, please call (202) 737-4215 or visit www.nga.gov. Serena Lei is an arts writer for The Washington Diplomat.