Zero Hour

​This was the time of the Vietnam War and the Cold War between superpowers, when a full-scale nuclear conflict threatened the world.  Herman Wald was constantly aware of the danger of mutually assured destruction. The void face of this mechanical   figure is reminiscent of the Helmet Head by Henry Moore (1950, Tate Gallery, London) which arose from the same source of anxiety. The nude form stands upright, his torso and knees, arranged in cubic planes, evoke a knight’s armour. He is impaling himself, his sword slicing his body, whilst he stands as immobile  as a Samurai warrior.