Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1546656
Correspondence attests to the rapport Forma established with these sculptors. Perhaps because of this, Forma's commitment to 5 British Sculptors exceeded that of any other project. Shortly aer finishing the film, he published a book, followed by an LP and two exhibitions. While all are interlinked, each is a carefully craed entity. e film, shot in colour, will be considered below. e book was issued by Grossman Publishers, a short-lived, high-quality imprint. Designed by Arnold Skolnick and selected by the American Institute of Graphic Arts as an outstanding book of the year, 5 British Sculptors is characterised by a clear, expansive layout that still appears innovative today. 30 Each sculptor is allotted a section, with his/her words printed on coloured sugar paper and Forma's on white gloss. Most pages are printed single- sided. Forma's black-and-white photographs are uncaptioned, allowing nothing to detract from their impact. Ranging from portraits to studio shots and close-up details, they appear full-page, asymmetrically across double-page spreads, or as film strips. e book's black cloth cover is embossed with sculptural silhouettes – a reclining figure by Moore, a pierced form by Hepworth, standing figure by Butler and heads by Chadwick (square) and Armitage (double) – overlaid by an acetate wrapper with white text. Priced at $15 (equivalent to £120 today), this was an expensive book. It was printed in Milan by Amilcare Pizzi, who began his career specialising in colour reproduction at Rizzoli & Pizio, established his own imprint, and became renowned for his attention to detail in reproducing illustrations. 31 Without access to Forma's archive, it is not known if the book represents a full transcript of the original tapes. e relationship between book and film soundtrack is complex. e book omits passages contained in the film, particularly where a sculptor describes a work or process being demonstrated, while the film soundtrack (compared against the book) has been extensively cut and reordered – oen a sentence here, a phrase there – to reflect the visual sequences. A third iteration of Forma's project saw the sculptors' commentaries released on LP as 5 BRITISH SCULPTORS TALK (Caedmon TC1181, mono, 1965). Again designed by Skolnick, the record sleeve features gold lettering on a monochrome photograph of Hepworth's le hand, the point of her chisel jauntily knocking 'TALK' off-kilter. 32 Critic Paul Kresh rated the 'Performance: Cozy' and 'Recording: Good', praising the lack of 'inchoate gobbledygook which so frequently afflicts artists invited to explain themselves in words.' 33 Helen Roach relayed Forma's own description of making the recordings: I got to know each of the sculptors quite well and they were relaxed with me as I was with them … In order to achieve the intimate quality which I seek in my work, I worked entirely alone with each of the artists. Reg Butler, in fact, was so relaxed he did the entire interview lying on a day bed. Henry Moore spoke comfortably on a so couch in his den, and it was much the same with the other three artists. Some have visited me in this country and I have visited them back in England. 34 30. Artist and graphic designer Arnold H. Skolnick (1937–2022) was best known for his 1969 poster for the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. 5 British Sculptors was produced in collaboration with Chanticleer Press, Inc., New York. 31. Pizzi's imprint Silvana Editoriale, founded in 1948 and named aer his daughter, who died prematurely, specialised in books on art. 32. e same photograph was used as endpapers for the book. 33. Paul Kresh, 'Spoken Word', HiFi/ Stereo, vol. 15, no. 5, November 1965, p. 156. 12