When I begin working with a new stone for one of my sculptures there is always a process of getting to know it. Even though it may be a type that I have worked with before, each stone is completely unique for me. The hardness and size vary, which determines the tools that I use, its shape, veining, and crevices, and also where the stone originated. All this begins to fuel my imagination.
The stone that I used to carve my latest work, “Aphrodite Rising” came from Carrara, Italy in the famous marble region of Tuscany. There is also a small town nearby, Pietrasanta, historically a world-renowned center for marble and bronze manufacturing. A favorite place of Michelangelo, many sculptors still go there today as a kind of pilgrimage to experience the natural beauty of the white marble capped mountains and learn from the stone artisans.
Some years ago, Don Silverberg, a fellow stone sculptor that worked in our atelier went to this magical place and brought back several pieces of this beautiful stone. Sadly, he passed away before he could realize them as sculptures. One of them thankfully came to me and upon beginning the carving I sensed something wonderful about this stone. It was a sculptor’s dream to carve! It possesses a buttery texture yet is able to hold precise lines and display a luminous sheen upon finishing. As I was working with the stone, I began to realize exactly why the stone from this region is so prized. I began, in essence, to fall in love with it. I felt such gratitude to Don for bringing it home and wanted to make something special in his memory as well as to honor the ancient memory housed within this stone. A memory deep within us as well, shaped by our past and creating the dream of our future.
Aphrodite is one of the most powerful Greek goddesses and many versions of this sensual deity have been conceived throughout time. A goddess of love and fertility, she is also a goddess of war. I wanted to convey her softness and her strength simultaneously and show her as a reflection of the feminine spirit. My own and that which is in the world evolving towards its highest potential. With each new day and every second for that matter, we get the chance to become and realize this divine aspect within us. My hope is that you enjoy this piece as much as I enjoyed creating it. Thank you, Don!
“Aphrodite Rising” is currently on exhibition at the beautiful Dunedin Fine Art Center in Dunedin, Florida until May 16th, 2022.
Comments