DEAN DAY GALLERY

ARTIST STATEMENT

 

"I have always enjoyed watching people. Their posture and gestures give non-verbal cues about them. One can imagine what is happening in their lives by watching how they walk, stand, hold their head and move their hands. These observations have found their way into my work.

 

My sculptures are always in an imaginary setting and it tends to be where I’d like to find myself at a given time. Previous sculptures have been on a dock, in a garden, on a sandy beach or in wide-open spaces.

 

If I feel a need for something, or observe something that touches me, I want to make a sculpture about it. If I yearn for quiet or solitude, I make a serene piece; if I see love and tenderness in difficult circumstances, I make a romantic piece; if I feel like dancing, I make a dancer.

 

I prefer simplicity and ambiguity in my sculptures’ faces. Planes and angles portray the basic elements without individual characteristics. I hope this encourages the viewer to bring his or her experiences and interpretation to the sculpture.

 

I weld my original sculptures in steel and then have copies cast in bronze. I am drawn to the strength, flexibility and luster of metal. As I work, cutting, hammering and welding, the personality of the subject emerges. I strive to impart a sense of inner strength and grace in my sculptures."