On 25th November, Barbara Hepworth’s celebrated cast bronze sculpture Dual Form was carefully relocated to Kresen Kernow in Redruth. This temporary move ensures the sculpture’s protection during the Guildhall Renewal Project, while keeping it on public display for the community and visitors to enjoy.
Dual Form will return to its position outside St Ives Guildhall once the forecourt works are complete, as part of the Guildhall Renewal Works. The Guildhall Renewal Project is one of nine St Ives Town Deal funded projects. These enhancements will include a level access entrance and a redesigned, welcoming portico, creating a more accessible and vibrant space in the heart of Street-An-Pol. These improvements aim to revitalise the area and provide an inviting outdoor space for all to enjoy.
Kresen Kernow, Cornwall’s state-of-the-art archive and records centre, now temporarily hosts Dual Form. Housed in the former Redruth Brewery, this facility opened in 2019 and offers research areas, exhibition spaces, and an accessible environment. It preserves over 1.5 million records spanning 850 years, celebrating Cornwall’s rich history. The Town Council extends its gratitude to Kresen Kernow for facilitating this relocation.
“We are thrilled to be able to provide a temporary home for Dual Form, which has been made possible as a result of the Government Indemnity Scheme. We would like to thank HM Government and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England for arranging the indemnity. This ensures the public can continue to enjoy it while the much-needed work is completed at the Guildhall” said Deborah Tritton, Service Manager at Kresen Kernow.
Barbara Hepworth and the Legacy of Dual Form
Barbara Hepworth is one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century. Her works, such as the monumental Single Form outside the United Nations in New York, are globally recognised. Closer to home, Dual Form stands as a testament to her artistic vision and connection to St Ives, where she lived and worked.
Hepworth gifted Dual Form to St Ives in 1968 following her award of the Freedom of the Borough, an honour she shared with fellow artist Bernard Leach. She personally selected its position outside the Guildhall, and during the current renovation, meticulous planning has ensured its exact placement will be maintained when it returns.
Exploring the Artistic Journey of Dual Form
Dual Form is one of seven casts, with others displayed as far afield as Washington and the Netherlands. Hepworth herself believed that its placement in St Ives was the most striking, a sentiment expressed in her letters. Cast at the renowned Morris Singer Foundry in London, Dual Form bears the foundry’s mark on its base.
Hepworth’s pioneering use of “pierced forms” – openings that create interplay between space, light, and material – became a signature element of her work. She also embraced bronze as a medium, experimenting with patinas, such as copper nitrate, to add unique colour and texture to her sculptures.
Ensuring the Careful Relocation of a Masterpiece
The Town Council enlisted a specialist sculpture-moving team, Sculpture Transport UK, with extensive experience in handling significant artworks to safely transport Dual Form. This complex process included templating the sculpture’s base to ensure its future plinth matches precisely.
Charlotte Tomlinson, Project Manager for the Guildhall Renewal Project, said:
“There has been a lot to consider in moving Dual Form. With such an important and large sculpture, we’ve worked carefully to account for every detail, including commissioning an experienced team and making sure its plinth will be a perfect fit. We’re thrilled to share Dual Form with Kresen Kernow for a short time and look forward to its return to the Guildhall next year, where it will continue to inspire for decades to come.”
“With so much hard work gone on Guildhall Renewal Project, behind the scenes over the past couple of years with the it feels really good to actually see some of it starting to play out. Well done to all the team getting this far. I would like to encourage everyone to go to Kresen Kernow to see Dual Form there, it’s a great building and well worth a visit” Councillor Johnnie Wells, Mayor of St Ives, on behalf of St Ives Town Council
Barbara Hepworth’s Dual Form continues to embody her artistic legacy and lasting bond with St Ives, ready to take its place once again as a centrepiece in its beautifully refreshed surroundings.
To visit Kresen Kernow and for more information, go to kresenkernow.org
For Guildhall Renewal project updates, go to stivesguildhall.co.uk/future/
