A commission for the Hepworth Wakefield.

Created by musician Orlando Weeks and Director-animator Marcus Armitage, with a voice-over by Maxine Peake; Something Out Of Nothing is a film based on the life and work of Barbara Hepworth and how she coped with a loss.

The original story, by musician/singer Orlando Weeks, was inspired by his learning that the Madonna And Child sculpture in the St Ives parish church was a memorial to Hepworth’s eldest son Paul Skeaping. This act of making as therapy or self-comfort is associated with the desire to make, or use making, as a way of processing grief and these themes are reflected in the film.

“For as long as I can remember having any interest at all in art I have loved Hepworth’s work. To the pipsqueak me, there was something fantastically unfussy and satisfying about these huge, dino-skeletal, climbing frame-esque sculptures. In many ways, I still feel the same about them now.”

– Orland Weeks

“I have close family connections to historic mills that share the waterfront site with The Hepworth Wakefield. Before the gallery was created, my mum worked in the design office of  Caddies Wainwright Mill designing patterns for men’s knitwear. My aunty Marie worked in the mill on the overlocking machines. My dad, who was born in Wakefield, also worked in the space. When the mill was first closed, it was offered as artist studios.

Dad had a photographic studio and his sister Julie had a space in the building for painting and fine art projects. These connections made the project very personal and special to me.”

– Marcus Armitage