“A meme is a cultural analogue to a gene. A form that is transmitted in thought or behaviour from one body to another, responding to conditional environments, self-replicating and capable of mutation.”
— Antony Gormley

Subject 1 (Meme) II (2018) is an exemplary work from Antony Gormley’s series of ‘Meme’ sculptures, a body of work that distils the human form into architectonic volumes. Cast in iron, the small ‘Memes’ replace traditional human anatomy with simple iron blocks to articulate a range of postures, each conveying different states of mind.

Begun in 2009, the series draws inspiration from Richard Dawkins’ concept of the ‘meme’ as articulated in The Selfish Gene. For Dawkins, a meme is a cultural unit—like a gene—which spreads through imitation. Gormley adopts this notion, seeing his ‘Memes’ as forms that transmit emotional and intellectual states from one viewer to another. Each work in this series comprises 27 blocks arranged into distinct postures. Gormley’s ambition is to create intelligible forms that speak to a range of human experiences, inviting empathy despite their abstraction.

Antony Gormley, MEME CVI, 2010
Sold by Phillips London, 20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale for GBP 163,800

At just over 25 cm tall, the present lot is a compact yet powerful presence. The work is kneeling as if in a position of prayer, and although rigid in its geometry, the body’s slight forward tilt suggests a moment of contemplation or hesitation, imbuing the abstract form with heightened emotional resonance.

Detail of the present lot

Antony Gormley
SUBJECT 1 (MEME) II, 2018
Cast iron
25.7 x 9 x 13.9 cm.
Image © White Cube (Theo Christelis)
© the artist

The materiality of the work is equally significant. Cast in iron, the sculpture’s surface bears a naturally rusted patina, which contrasts with the precise, geometric forms. The rough texture of the iron not only adds a tactile dimension but also evokes a sense of time and endurance. Iron, a material historically associated with industry and permanence, lends the work a weighty presence whilst also connecting it to the molten iron at the earth’s core.

Gormley’s exploration of the body is rooted in the idea that the human form is not just a biological entity, but a vessel for emotional and intellectual states. In the present lot, the body is abstracted into a form that is both instantly recognisable and universal in its form, allowing viewers to project their own emotions onto the sculpture. Here, the body becomes a site for imaginative projection, engaging the viewer in a dialogue between presence and absence.
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- Description
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- Provenance
  White Cube, Hong Kong
  Acquired from the above by the present owner