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'Contrapuntal Forms' has been described as a 'monumental group of abstract sculpture symbolising the spirit of discovery'. The sculpture was commissioned by the Arts Council for the 1951 Festival of Britain on London's South Bank. It was hand-carved by Hepworth and stood high on a plinth between the Dome of Discovery and the Transport Pavilion. The sculpture was acquired by Harlow Development Corporation, along with three murals, when the artworks were distributed after the festival had ended. Hepworth was insistent that this work have a civic setting but agreed to it being temporarily placed in a completed environment. The novel concept of having sculpture in an urban landscape was taken up with the formation of Harlow Art Trust and the subsequent acquisition of Harlow’s sculpture collection.