Thank you to the five sculptors who recently let me invade their space: Richard Elpers, Lisa Gallo, Harry Greenberg, Michael Rizza, and Dave Matthews. They are such fun group and enjoy sharing stories and advice while they work. They even wanted a group photo at the end of yesterday's session, and they called in one of their members who's currently not sculpting, Carolyn Peters, to join them. A part of sculpting stone is working with the material itself. There is only so much manipulation that can be done. Colors or imperfections within the stone may be revealed during the sculpting process that were not expected or that don't suit the ideas the artists had for a piece. Some of the sculptors work to reveal the beauty of the stone, while others try pick the stone they feel will help them best depict the image they have in their heads. Regardless of their intention, most of the artists seemed to think that you need to "feel the stone". That can mean sitting a stone in the middle of your room and looking at it - possibly for years - before making a mark on it. Some see a stone and immediately know what they want to make with it. Yet, as they work, they need to change their plans depending on what they learn or feel about the stone as they shape it. Rick has drawn a two-dimensional representation of the shape he hopes to create out of his stone. Rick says the Earth has made a sacrifice of the stone for him to use. He feels he needs to be patient and thoughtful with his work so he can honor that sacrifice. He creates a relationship with the stone and sometimes spends the beginning of a carving session "waking the stone up." Dave has a sixty pound piece of stone sitting in his living room. For now, he just looks at it. He is waiting until he understands what he should do with that particular stone. He did have a specific idea for the piece of stone he was carving when I visited. However, he had recently discovered a dirt pocket in the stone that made his original plan unworkable. He had to give up on his original idea (although he will try again with another piece of stone) and make another design that allows for the imperfections and unique characteristics of this particular stone. Different types of rock have different characteristics that the sculptors have to learn. Lisa was carving alabaster, which can get bruised. She had to spray the stone with water in order to be able to see the bruises that are not visible when the stone is dry. When I listen to these sculptors talk, I am constantly making comparisons to other forms of art-making. We all deal with the limitations of our particular medium (as well as the limitations of our own abilities to use it!). However, the relationships the sculptors have with their material - the physical and mental connections - seem somewhat unique to me.
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April 2022
AuthorTiffanie Heben is a photographer who has been inspired by the artists in her community |