ON A WING AND A PRAYER

2003


Carrara Marble , Italy
0.57m x 0.17m x 0.38m

Private Collection

Model for Large Public Work in Marble

The Story

I was approached by a man who had plans to set up a spiritual centre in South America and wanted to place a large out door sculpture in the grounds of the centre . The only brief I was given was to design a sculpture that was symbolic of  ' spirituality '  in an abstract form ,  The material and size was left to me including the siting and the lighting of the finished work . When a sculptor gets a project like this , creativity can flow , but keeping in mind the budget and not to ' kill it ',  that it can be a reality and the work get sited .  This work never got sited due to reasons out of my control and it would not be fair to the man who was giving me the commission to state it here as to why ........ it could still yet happen .
                                                                    
ON A WING AND A PRAYER ..... as I have said before titles help the viewer to form the thinking and message behind the sculpture even when the sculpture is in abstract form . My title for this work , on hearing or reading it tells you it's dealing with Hope and that's the main message in this work .
A spiritual center embraces all races and religions and that was the idea behind this one so even though I was asked to design an abstract sculpture it's not pure abstract that no body but only the artist can understand it . The sculpture must have some ' spiritual-ness ' about it and be in tune with it's surroundings and purpose ,  in other words , in harmony .
                                                                      
The front and the back of this sculpture do not exist as such for both views depict different messages . In the top photograph and starting from the top , is the ' finger of God '  pointing towards the earth and resting on the Book that's draped with in an ' angles wing ', [ ON A WING } . The book symbolic of all religious books { PRAYER } . When you can picture yourself standing and looking up at the sculpture it all comes into perspective .
                                                                       
When you look at the other photograph the sculpture has no connections in design as to what's going on on the other side , both views hide each other and both views have totally different feelings and messages .  This side the message is the ' Human '  where as the other side it is the ' Spiritual '.  The broken egg form is symbolic of birth and the form around it is the womb . The overall message in the sculpture is easy to see and understand ........ it's a sculpture of Hope for all Human Beings .

BLACK HOLE

2005


Black Granite - South Africa
Grey Granite - China
Pine Wood- Canada

0.60m x 0.22m x 1.90m

Private Collection

The Story

To make a sculpture using traditional materials stone and wood and with a title '' Black Hole '' I feel the design concept is limited in how to portray the Black Hole of outer space , right now I can think of four different ways I could make this sculpture using only stone and wood but if you were to think of  ' installation ' you have opened up the possibilities of making a sculpture with a title  '' Black Hole ''.  
                                  In the making of art in any form be it in the traditional ways or the ' new ways ' as in materials that we can use in this time we are now in , and the way we now look at art and what we accept as art , what I am saying is , the ' rules ' in today's thinking of  ' what is art ' either don't exist or are bent , in other words , room for more play and experimentation in the making  not like in the past , where if you did not finish the stone or the painting in the traditional way it was just not accepted by the so called art establishment or the collectors . Today we have more freedom for expression in the arts that everybody has the chance to be an artist even by profession .
                                 If I was born 200 years ago I would not be accepted as an artist unless I did my training in the academies and followed the rules of the time then and only then I might have the chance of making my living as an artist . Today is a good time to be an artist , freedom in technique and freedom in expression .
The only rule I would feel and apply to myself  is , try for 100% .

SYMPOSIUMS

The Story

As a sculptor I am grateful to have the opportunity and invitations to take part in the Symposiums , twenty one in total . They have been my training ground as a sculptor . To work and think quick and gain the confidence in working the big and many different stones . The meeting of many fine sculptors and the sharing of the information of stone and it's way in working it . As a self taught sculptor the Symposiums were my ' schooling ' and the adventure in the making of my art and me as a whole .
I feel I have been quite fortunate at the time to be in certain countries when history was in the making that is , when The Berlin Wall collapsed and Communism fell I was in Kazakhstan then part of the U.S.S.R. , when 9/11 happened I was in Incheon City , South Korea and exactly at the time of the Millennium I was in Sahara Desert , I felt a nice place to be at the time when the rest of the world was celebrating and I was in the dark and the quietness , it had the feeling of been detached from the event and yet very much part of it .
My Destiny placed me in these countries not only for me to make my work but to really feel to be part of the world and the making of  it's history , I am happy for that , and as I wrote in one of my quotes .....
'' Destiny will find you ''.


The Symposiums

1988    BULGARIA

            13th International Symposium in Stone ,                            
            Burgas 
            Bulgarian Marble
            Sited ; Childrens Street .
            Title ;  '' Zmya-Zena ''  { '' Snake Woman '' }
            2.5m Long

1989   KAZAKHSTAN former U.S.S.R. 
        1st International Symposium in Stone ,
           Djhambul City
           Local Stone
           Sited ; Main Public Park .
           Title ; '' The Wall of Bureaucracy ''
           8m Long x 1.2m High x 0.4m Wide

1991   Germany
           3rd International Symposium in Stone
           Mayen
           Volcanic Stone
           Sited ; Mayen Sculpture Park
           Title ; '' A Moderan Day Rider Emerging from the Stone ''
           Bike ; 2.4m Long
           Road ; 3.80m Long

1993   SARDINIA
           5th International Symposium in Stone
           Budduso , Comune di Budduso
           Granite
           Sited ; outside Main Cemetery
           Title ; '' The Granite Fruit Tree ''
           Tree ; 3m High
           Base ; 2m Long

1993   ISRAEL   awarded  First Prize
           2nd International Symposium in Stone
           Ma'alot - Tarshiha
           Yiftah Marble
           Sited ; Main  Round-a-bout
           Title ; '' The Kings Pillow ''
           2.40m Long x 2m High
           
1994   ITALY
           4th International Symposium in Wood
           Lama Mocogno , Comune di Lama Mocogno
           Cherry Wood , Stone and Water
           Sited ; Central Public Park
           Title ; '' Cascade ''
            3m High
            Base ; 4m Long

1994   ITALY
           4th International Symposium in Marble
           '' The Stone and the Sea ''
           Open Air Museum of Contemporary Art
           Riccione , Comune di Riccione
           Carrara Marble
           Sited ; Open Air Museum
           Title ; '' Cascade ''
           3m High
           Base ; 2m Long

1995   SARDINIA
           5th International Symposium in Trachite
           Fordongianus , Comune di Fordongianus [ OR ]
           Trachite Stone
           Sited ; Fordongianus
           Title ; '' Jazzman Sings ''
           2m High x 0.8m 0.8m

1995    ITALY 
            1st International Symposium in Marble
            Gorfigliano , Comune di Gorfigliano-Minucciano [ LU ]
           '' Orto di Donna '' Marble
            Sited ; Sports Ground
            Title ; '' The Robe of Christ '' 
                     { '' La Toga di Cristo '' }
            2m High x 1.30m x 0.60m
            Base ; 3m Long x 1.60m High

1997   FRANCE          
           6th International Symposium in Stone
           '' The Landscape of Tomorrow '' { '' Demain le Paysage '' }
           Montbrison
           Gres Stone
           Sited ; Montbrison
           Title ; '' A Tree for the Third Millennium ''
            2.50m High x 0.50 x 0.50

1997   ITALY
           5th International Symposium in Trachite
           Caorle , Provincia di Venezia
           Trachite Stone
           Sited ; The Promenade
           Title ; '' Reincarnation of the Boy King ''
           2m Long x 1.50m High

1999   FRANCE    awarded  Honorary Public Prize
           7th International in Stone
           '' What Sort of Games for the XXI Annual ''
            Montbrison
            Pierre de Lens Stone
            Sited ; Montbrison
            Title ; '' Hide and Seek in France '' 
                     { '' Cache-Cache en France '' }            
            1.20m High x 0.60m x 0.60m

1999    AFRICA ,  MAURITANIA
2000    1st International Symposium in Granite
            Ben Amira - Isha Monoliths
            Granite
            Sited ; Ben Amira Monolith , Sahara Desert
            Title ; '' Offering ''
             2.70m Long x 1.80m High x 1.60m

2000    FRANCE
            1st International Symposium in Marble
            '' The Sub-Marine World '' { '' Le Monde Sous-Marin '' }
            Le Pradet
            Romanian Marble
            Sited ; Le Pradet
            Title ; '' The Sub-Marine World ''
                     { '' Le Monde Sous-Marin '' }
            2mHigh x 1.60m x 1.60m

2001    ITALY
            3rd International Symposium in Black Slate
           '' La Pieta Nera ''
            Cicagna , Cornia Comune di Moconesi [ GE ]
            Fontanabuona Black Slate
            Sited ; Cicagna
            Title ; '' To be or not to be '' 
                     { '' Essere o non-Essere '' }
            1m High x 0.50m x 0.50m

2001    South KOREA
            4th International Symposium in Granite
            Inchon City
            Granite Black and White
            Sited ; Sculpture Park
            Title ; '' Custodian to Heaven and Earth ''
             3.40m High
             Base ; 1.20m Long

2002     INDIA
             1st International Symposium in Sandstone
             Bhopal City , Madhya Pradesh
             Rajasthan Sandstone
             Sited ; Technology Park , Ayodhya Township
             Title ;  '' Shristi ''   {'' Life in Creation ''}
             2m Long x 1.80m High x 0.80m

2002     INDIA  West BENGAL
             Santiniketan
             Kala Bhavan
             Faculty of Fine Arts
             Visva Bharati University
             Invited Guest Artist
             Work ; Welded Steel
             Sited ;  Nandan Art Museum Santiniketan
             Titile ; '' Energy for Bengal ''
             2.75m x 1.22m x 1.22m

2002    SPAIN
            1st International Symposium in Limestone
            Almazan , Soria
            Piedra de Calatorao Limestone
            Sited ; Almazan
            Title ;  '' The Ghost of El Cid ''
            2.70m x 0.50m x 0.50m

2002    ITALY
            2nd International Symposium in Marble
            '' La Scultura in Rosso ''
            Sella Chianzutan , Comune di Verzegnis [ UD ]
            Verzegnis Red Marble , Stainless Steel Bar
            Sited ;  Sella Chianzutan - Verzegnis
            Title ; '' Celtic Spirit of the Mountain ''
                      '' La Spirito Celtico della Montagna ''
             1.60m High x 1.50m x 1.90m Long
              2.50m S.S.Bar

2003     PERU  South America
             3rd International Symposium in Granite
             Lima , Miraflores
             Peruivan Gray Granite
             Sited ;  City Hall Park , Lima
             Title ;  '' Divine Plan to Inca ''
             1.80m Long x 1.20m x 1.20m

2005    BORNEO   Malaysia
            2nd International Delphic Games
            '' Kayu Batu Sarawak ''
             Kuching City , Sarawak
             Gray Granite , Belian Wood and Steel
             Sited ; Reservoir Park , Kuching City
             Title ;  '' Reborn - Pyramid of Hope for Borneo ''
              3 stones ; Average Height , 1.60m
              Belian Wood ; 3.66m High
              Steel Pyramid ; 0.61m
          

COUNTER BALANCE

2005

                                                                                                     


Limestone - Ireland
Marble - Italy


0.46m x 0.19m x 0.32m high

Model for Public Work
Collection of the Artist

The Story

' Counter Balance ' is a sculpture that I tried to portray a message of spirituality within our everyday life in our time .
The top part is symbolic of the arms of a scales with the gold leaf connected to the heavens balanced on the house symbolic of our habitat and the white marble symbolic of us as Human Beings in my stylised version of yin and yang and all balanced on the world .
In the appearance of the sculpture and the initial impact on the mind of the viewer on first seeing it , and without making any judgements ,  I wanted to give the overall feeling of spirituality in balance and in strength and lightness as in ' floating '. The sculpture is viewed 360 degrees , in that , as you approach it from any angle it ' reads ' the same .
A sculpture should ' connect ' to the people in some way that it can stimulate in mind , feelings as in sensations and emotions and in that way it lives on in their minds , consciously or sub-consciously and then it becomes part of us that we could have the same feelings towards it as if it was ' living ' .
' Counter Balance ' is a sculpture for people of all persuasions that it ' connects ' to their inner senses as  Human Beings .

SAIL ENERGY

2005
Green Limestone - Ireland
Granite - Ireland
Brass Bar


0.31m high

Model for large public work

Model in Private Collection






The ' sail ' can also be made in Stainless Steel which could rotate and the ' boat ' in a local stone of the location for the sculpture .


The Story

This is a work in the Abstract style that is designed to be sited at a waterfront with the sea as the background . I want to give the feeling and the appearance of a sail moving on the sea as if you as the
observer looked out to sea and for a couple of seconds the sail had a mirage effect on you . The brass rod is symbolic of sun light passing down the sail and in it's reality would reflect the sun light at different times of the day . The limestone as the sail and the granite as the boat would have a high polish to reflect the sun .
The sculpture is to capture the ' moment ' in the action .

A BROKEN MAN

                                                       

2005

Gray Granite - Ireland
Limestone - Ireland

Private Collection

The Story

I made this work in a naive style and giving it a ' tribal ' appearance to try to convey a ' rawness ' energy and in keeping with the title of the work . It was the title that I came up with first and then made the work to the feeling of the words and in giving the sculpture it's own energy and presence when you stand beside it , as if you were standing beside a human being telling you he is a ' broken man '.  Sometimes a sculpture does not need a title and can give out it's own message in the way the work is presented but I like to title my work as the title along with the work is just as important for they together complete the work .
It can be like a human being having no name , we are at a loss as to how to make contact and then we feel our own confidence is threatened .