How did Henry Moore use openings and spaces in his sculptures?

In the context of sculpture, Henry Moore treated mass and space as equal partners in his designs. Influenced by his study of natural forms—such as pebbles, rocks, shells, and bones—Moore sought to apply nature’s principles of rhythm and form to his work.12

To achieve this, he moved away from solid, traditional forms by "opening up" his carvings. He utilized concavities and holes pierced directly through the sculpture, which are often referred to as negative volumes. These voids were as carefully shaped as the solid parts of the sculpture and were essential to the overall design.21

By incorporating these openings, Moore allowed space to interact with the mass of the sculpture, creating a dynamic relationship between the internal structure and the external environment. This approach enabled him to explore symbolic correspondences between the human body and elements of the landscape, such as caves, cliffs, and hillsides. While his early use of these pierced forms was initially considered shocking, it became a hallmark of his revolutionary contribution to 20th-century art.132