The Sculptor Speaks

'The Sculptor Speaks' by Olivia Louvel is a resounding of a 1961 recording of Barbara Hepworth’s voice, shining a singular light on her creative process.

This first iteration, premiered on Resonance Extra, celebrates the date of birth of the British sculptor, on the 10th of January 1903.
Recorded by Hepworth herself in her studio in St Ives, the tape’s initial purpose was for a recorded talk with slides for the British Council. Having unearthed the tape at the British Library, Louvel designed for it a completey new sound environment using Hepworth’s voice as a major element in the composition.

Louvel’s practice is built upon a long-standing exploration of the voice, sung or spoken, and its manipulation through digital technology. Currently studying for a Master’s degree at the DMSA, University of Brighton, the resounding of the tape ‘The Sculptor Speaks’ forms the basis for her research, investigating the voice from preservation to resounding whilst taking further the voice of Hepworth into the physical space as a multi-speaker diffusion. A second iteration will follow.

Thank you to Sophie Bowness, trustee of the Hepworth Estate and DMSA, University of Brighton.