Travertine
30x5x5 in.
2022
30x5x5 in.
2022
When the stone that became ‘The Spirit Bird…’ arrived in my possession, it was a long, perfectly cut travertine cylinder. Its shape and finish hinted at a previous life as a roller in an industrial operation of some sort. Heavy, unwieldy, with its characteristic pockmarked surface, it languished, patiently awaiting its fate.
After a series of abstract but lyrical birds carved in feminine, warm-hued marble, I felt the need to explore the form in a different register, using a contrasting material. The cold, sober travertine cylinder came to mind as a good counterpoint.
The ‘Spirit Bird…’ echoes the shapes of ‘Bird with Gold Collar’ and ‘The Queen of Hearts’, but its mood is markedly different. Vertical, with its preponderance of hard edges, it emits an aura of masculinity. The gray material reinforces a feeling of emotional distance, a self-sufficient aloofness.
Behind this stark surface, the sculpture hides a secret: the myriad voids that traverse it are covered in a dusting of fine crystals. Under the right light, they erupt in brilliant fire.
The light is not always strong enough to elicit the stone’s inner brilliance, but it comforts me to know that the latent beauty is present, ready to be revealed by the shifting light.
