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Friday, August 25, 2017
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Aphrodite
Dimensions: 90” wide, 54” high, 28” deep
Materials: African Mozambique
Date: Made for show in 1978; subsequent commissions executed
Description: A rocking lounge chair/sculpture carved from solid, African Mozambique. The combination of scale, sensuous curves and negative space give the chair the power and grace of the Greek Goddess of Love. Staggered, laminated joinery and hidden, metal reinforcement are engineered to replicate the strength of steel yet retain the beauty and feel of natural wood.
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Thoughts on my work: The curving line is beautiful because it has grace, motion and power. It abstracts the essence of a classical ballet or a moving musical composition. It soothes like the ebb and flow of waves or the rush of water in a stream. It captures the universal magic of femininity.
Matador
Dimensions: Dimensions: 22” wide, 30” high, 24” deep
Materials: African Mozambique
Date: Completed for show in 1971; subsequent commissions executed
Description: Chair/sculpture laminated and carved in Mozambique. The sculpture connects the pedestal, seat, and arm in one uninterrupted line, resulting in a sweeping, graceful arc reminiscent of the classic pose of a victorious bullfighter.
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Thoughts on my work: Sculpture has three dimensions. My work has a fourth: the sensation of touch, and yet a fifth: the pleasure of use. If an object is conceived as a piece of sculpture, but feels good and also has a function, it is a richer experience for both maker and user.
Swahili II
Dimensions: 94” wide, 26” high, 32” deepMaterials: African Mozambique exterior, White Birch interior
Date: Completed in 1990 as a private commission
Description: Cabinet/sculpture with 4” thick doors and sides carved in solid Mozambique. Interior fitments include trays for bottles and glasses, pull-outs for stereo and television units as well as drawers for CD storage.
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Thoughts on my work: I enjoy the entire process of working with wood - from the idea of its origins in the living tree, through the excitement of bringing color and figure to the surface in carving; to the satiny feel of a wooden surface which is finely sanded and finished. I could achieve the same results in form in other media, and some would present less structural limitations, but I would miss the complex satisfactions of this natural material.
Satan's Tongue
Dimensions: 17” high, 48” wide, 24” deep
Materials: African Padouk
Date: Completed for show in 1982. Subsequent commissions executed
Description: Coffee table laminated and carved from solid Padouk
Perception II
Dimensions: 27” wide, 54” high
Materials: African Mozambique
Date: Completed in 1980 for show; subsequent commission executed
Description: Mirror laminated and carved in solid Mozambique
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