Tennessee Pink marble, jasper, wood
20x14x5 in.
2022
20x14x5 in.
2022
‘Shelter’ began with an intriguing semicircular sliver of stone with a thin edge like an axe blade. I felt this edge should remain intact so I focused on refining its more substantial edge. Over time, the shape became an arch suggesting a thin slice of a hollow mountain. It was a beautiful shape, and just like a rainbow, it needed something to anchor its ends, to set it off and accentuate its prominence. For contrast, I turned to a seasoned piece of oak that, with its diagonal grain, provided a perfect counterpart.
When wood and stone came together, it was revealed that the negative space of the arch required a third element, a point of focus and contrast. The arch itself suggested a sphere. The mood shifted as I experimented with various sizes and materials. The dark green jasper sphere proved to be the best counterpoint to the surrounding earth tones.
I kept ‘Shelter’ in my sight, looking for nuances and imperfections to be revealed in the changing light of the passing days. The intimacy of this process led to the resolution of dissonance through ever finer adjustments, until the triad became harmonious, and the jasper orb appeared to float serenely, protected by the stone arch.
