My life is composed of cycles of suffering and joy, and I express this journey in my sculpture. In both stone and bronze, I explore the struggle of life; pain and desperation, strength and survival, triumph and liberation. My sculptures become a map of my own psychological journey through abuse, divorce and depression. At times, viewers who have experienced similar life situations have been brought to tears and healing, seeing that they are not alone and that there is hope for renewal.
In the midst of Postmodernism, when all is so deconstructed that even previously held universal symbols have largely lost their meaning, where is the artist to turn? My choice to sculpt the human figure is my response to feelings of isolation and loneliness in a world where there are no common meta-narratives, and the individual is forced to find meaning in a fragmented world. When the center of truth is found within the individual, and that individual is without direction, the result is suffering. Subsequently, the only common narrative in a pluralistic, fragmented, postmodern world is seemingly human suffering. Thus, I strive to capture this universal struggle in my work, depicting figures featureless enough that they represent the whole of humanity. Moreover, I also attempt to depict the universal hope for redemption.
My process usually begins with finding my inspiration through identifying with a particular emotional response to a life circumstance, often conveyed in ancient Hebrew songs.
In the midst of Postmodernism, when all is so deconstructed that even previously held universal symbols have largely lost their meaning, where is the artist to turn? My choice to sculpt the human figure is my response to feelings of isolation and loneliness in a world where there are no common meta-narratives, and the individual is forced to find meaning in a fragmented world. When the center of truth is found within the individual, and that individual is without direction, the result is suffering. Subsequently, the only common narrative in a pluralistic, fragmented, postmodern world is seemingly human suffering. Thus, I strive to capture this universal struggle in my work, depicting figures featureless enough that they represent the whole of humanity. Moreover, I also attempt to depict the universal hope for redemption.
My process usually begins with finding my inspiration through identifying with a particular emotional response to a life circumstance, often conveyed in ancient Hebrew songs.
Through reading these Psalms, I frequently generate images of two or three human figures which form a cycle. Then I begin sketching and fashion a clay machette. During the act of sculpting, I psychologically work out the emotion that inspired me. I use machine tools when it makes sense to speed up the progress. I also use hand tools, especially for the filing, sanding and final surface texturizing, to imbue a sense of being hand made, loved, and labored over.
Technically, I am influenced by the mathematical balance and grace of the ancient Greeks, the strength and humanism of Michelangelo, the spirituality and passion of Spanish Baroque wooden sculpture, and the simplicity of line and form of the Modernists. Still, my favorite sculptor is Bernini, from the Italian Baroque Period. I strive to learn from his use of spiraling motion and distribution of weight, to create the illusion of solidity, or weightlessness. Proportion and mathematics are very important to my process. I balance my sculptures in measured gradations. While I use Michelangelo’s proportional system of the human body, I sometimes alter individual body parts for effect. Whether the surface is smooth or textured, the interplay between light and shadow is integral to the forms I sculpt. My aim is to create a sculpture which is compositionally satisfying from every angle. I use combinations of curving lines and forms to evoke emotion and tell a story. Various stages of my own story of anguish, strain, growth, and triumph are interwoven throughout my sculptures.
Technically, I am influenced by the mathematical balance and grace of the ancient Greeks, the strength and humanism of Michelangelo, the spirituality and passion of Spanish Baroque wooden sculpture, and the simplicity of line and form of the Modernists. Still, my favorite sculptor is Bernini, from the Italian Baroque Period. I strive to learn from his use of spiraling motion and distribution of weight, to create the illusion of solidity, or weightlessness. Proportion and mathematics are very important to my process. I balance my sculptures in measured gradations. While I use Michelangelo’s proportional system of the human body, I sometimes alter individual body parts for effect. Whether the surface is smooth or textured, the interplay between light and shadow is integral to the forms I sculpt. My aim is to create a sculpture which is compositionally satisfying from every angle. I use combinations of curving lines and forms to evoke emotion and tell a story. Various stages of my own story of anguish, strain, growth, and triumph are interwoven throughout my sculptures.