{"product_id":"42-steps","title":"42 Steps","description":"\u003ch3\u003e\n\u003cem\u003e42 Steps, \u003c\/em\u003e2006\u003cbr\u003eSand cast bronze, stainless steel\u003cbr\u003e3200 x 350 x 350 mm\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRising in a slender, spiralling form, \u003cem\u003e42 Steps\u003c\/em\u003e draws the eye upward, evoking the quiet ascent of a staircase reaching toward the sky. Composed of repeating cast bronze elements threaded around a central axis, the work reflects Richard Mathieson’s long-standing interest in the helix — a form that is at once structural, lyrical and seemingly without end. The diamond-patterned steps allow light to pass through at shifting intensities, creating a subtle play of shadow and movement as the viewer circles the work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMathieson’s practice frequently explores modular repetition and the act of building through accumulation. Each step in \u003cem\u003e42 Steps\u003c\/em\u003e was individually cast using a green sand moulding process, a method that allowed for both precision and variation. The work’s construction — a sequence of elements revolving around a central core — has been likened by the artist to threading a necklace, balancing technical discipline with an intuitive sense of form.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe helix remains a central motif throughout Mathieson’s work — a shape that suggests growth, continuity and the passage of time. In \u003cem\u003e42 Steps\u003c\/em\u003e, this spiralling structure becomes a quiet meditation on existence, carrying the viewer’s gaze upward in a continuous, unbroken motion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReflecting on the work, Mathieson connects it to a whakataukī referenced in Witi Ihimaera’s memoir \u003cem\u003eMāori Boy\u003c\/em\u003e: \u003cem\u003e“Te tōrino haere whakamau, whakamuri”\u003c\/em\u003e — as the spiral moves forward, it also returns. This idea of simultaneous progression and return offers a meditation on time, existence and continuity, carried through the work’s endless upward movement.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"brick-bay-2024","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53164032262443,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/2822\/0459\/files\/42Steps-LowRes-7627.jpg?v=1779141874","url":"https:\/\/www.brickbay.co.nz\/products\/42-steps","provider":"Brick Bay","version":"1.0","type":"link"}