2010
SOLD
January 2010. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 13 × 12 × 3.5 in (33 × 30 × 9 cm). Private Collection.
The title derives from the English word catapult, meaning “to launch forward.” The sculpture’s arrangement of stone and steel conveys a sense of arrested motion—energy captured and poised for release—a dynamic tension that has been a central focus of Van Alstine’s work throughout his career.
March 2010. Granite, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 12 × 17 × 4 in (30 × 43 × 10 cm). Private Collection.
The title derives from two Latin words—fūnis, meaning “rope,” and ambulāre, “to walk”—and refers to a tightrope walker. The meaning is reinforced by the sculpture’s dynamic horizontal “balancing baton” and its overall sense of precarious poise. It evokes the physical balance, agility, and daring of a circus performer, while perhaps more poignantly suggesting mental agility—the ability to maintain equilibrium amid uncertainty and change.
A celebrated modern funambulist is Philippe Petit, who became famous for his unauthorized high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. His feat became an enduring image of extraordinary balance, concentration, risk, and resolve.
May 2010. Bronze. Dimensions: 13 × 20 × 9.5 in (33 × 51 × 24 cm). Private collection.
Many of Van Alstine’s works take inspiration from the movement of the human body. This work can be seen as a kind of self-portrait, suggesting his studio process—literally juggling and repositioning the individual elements of a sculpture until they achieve a moment of perfect balance, then freezing that moment in space through welding. More universally, juggling becomes a metaphor for the way we all balance the competing demands of family, work, play, and responsibility.
The anvil, which appears in a number of the artist’s works, represents both the ultimate heavy object to “juggle” and the act of assembly itself—the forging together of object, material, and ideas that is central to Van Alstine’s work.
May 2010. Bronze, pigmented river stone. Dimensions: 37 × 37 × 13 in (94 × 94 × 33 cm). Private Collection.
The title derives from two Latin words—fūnis, meaning “rope,” and ambulāre, “to walk”—and refers to a tightrope walker. The meaning is reinforced by the sculpture’s dynamic horizontal “balancing baton” and its overall sense of precarious poise. It evokes the physical balance, agility, and daring of a circus performer, while perhaps more poignantly suggesting mental agility—the ability to maintain equilibrium amid uncertainty and change.
A celebrated modern funambulist is Philippe Petit, who became famous for his unauthorized high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. His feat became an enduring image of extraordinary balance, concentration, risk, and resolve.
September 2010. Bronze, slate, red pigment. Dimensions: 4.5 × 11 × 9 in (11 × 28 × 23 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass Pyxis is completely visible in latitudes south of 53 degrees north from January through March.
awry 1: in a turned or twisted position or direction: askew 2: off the correct or expected course: amiss
The works in this series feature a “vessel” form - historically understood in art and literature as a symbol or metaphor for the self, a group of people, human kind. If the vessel's compass is awry it will likely end up adrift, untethered, off course.
My intent with this series is raise questions/search for answers relative to personal (or a group) decisions or courses of action and shed light on the resulting consequences, whether they are personal, political, environmental.
SOLD
October 2010. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 24.5 × 37 × 6 in (62 × 94 × 15 cm). Private Collection.
The Lunge series explores implied movement and gesture through an abstract sculptural language. The title Lunge suggests a sudden extension of the body—a reaching, thrusting, or shifting of weight that gives the sculpture a sense of physical momentum and directed energy.
While not figurative in a literal sense, the work draws on my interest in the expressiveness of the human figure. Its balance, tension, and spatial gesture suggest a body caught in motion, allowing the sculpture to convey a human presence through posture and movement rather than recognizable form.
October 2010. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 37 × 24 × 9 in (94 × 61 × 23 cm).
Private collection.
Stone has been a constant in John Van Alstine’s work for more than forty years. He often focuses on the material’s inherent qualities—especially its weight—choreographing stone and steel to create moments of visual and physical tension.
Landscape, particularly the mountain terrain where the artist has spent much of his life, has also been a powerful influence. In the Rockslide series, the shape and placement of stone, and its dynamic interaction with steel, evoke the drama of a familiar alpine event: a rock caught in mid-fall.
2009
January 2009. Granite, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 14.5 × 19 × 5 in (37 × 48 × 13 cm). Private Collection.
The title derives from two Latin words—fūnis, meaning “rope,” and ambulāre, “to walk”—and refers to a tightrope walker. The meaning is reinforced by the sculpture’s dynamic horizontal “balancing baton” and its overall sense of precarious poise. It evokes the physical balance, agility, and daring of a circus performer, while perhaps more poignantly suggesting mental agility—the ability to maintain equilibrium amid uncertainty and change.
A celebrated modern funambulist is Philippe Petit, who became famous for his unauthorized high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. His feat became an enduring image of extraordinary balance, concentration, risk, and resolve.
January 2009. Granite, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 13 × 18.5 × 7 in (33 × 47 × 18 cm). Private Collection.
The title derives from two Latin words—fūnis, meaning “rope,” and ambulāre, “to walk”—and refers to a tightrope walker. The meaning is reinforced by the sculpture’s dynamic horizontal “balancing baton” and its overall sense of precarious poise. It evokes the physical balance, agility, and daring of a circus performer, while perhaps more poignantly suggesting mental agility—the ability to maintain equilibrium amid uncertainty and change.
A celebrated modern funambulist is Philippe Petit, who became famous for his unauthorized high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. His feat became an enduring image of extraordinary balance, concentration, risk, and resolve.
SOLD
February 2009. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 18.5 × 27 × 9 in (47 × 69 × 23 cm). Corporate collection: Pittsburgh. PA
After completing more than 150 sculptures in the original Sisyphean Circle series, a new direction emerged—the Sisyphean Holiday series. These works take a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach, suggesting that Sisyphus (and perhaps the artist) might finally deserve a break—a holiday from the endless task.
Here, the familiar “Sisyphean stone” is placed within a vessel form reminiscent of an Adirondack guideboat or canoe. The shift offers a playful twist, transforming the symbol of perpetual struggle into one of pause, reflection, and perhaps even leisure.
—John Van Alstine
SOLD
February 2009. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 8 × 13 × 5 in (20 × 33 × 13 cm). Private Collection
After completing more than 150 sculptures in the original Sisyphean Circle series, a new direction emerged—the Sisyphean Holiday series. These works take a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach, suggesting that Sisyphus (and perhaps the artist) might finally deserve a break—a holiday from the endless task.
Here, the familiar “Sisyphean stone” is placed within a vessel form reminiscent of an Adirondack guideboat or canoe. The shift offers a playful twist, transforming the symbol of perpetual struggle into one of pause, reflection, and perhaps even leisure.
—John Van Alstine
SOLD
March 2009. Slate, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 42 × 37 × 7 in (107 × 94 × 18 cm). Corporate Collection: Washington, DC
After completing more than 150 sculptures in the original Sisyphean Circle series, a new direction emerged—the Sisyphean Holiday series. These works take a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach, suggesting that Sisyphus (and perhaps the artist) might finally deserve a break—a holiday from the endless task.
Here, the familiar “Sisyphean stone” is placed within a vessel form reminiscent of an Adirondack guideboat or canoe. The shift offers a playful twist, transforming the symbol of perpetual struggle into one of pause, reflection, and perhaps even leisure.
—John Van Alstine
SOLD
March 2009. River stone, slate, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 18 × 40 × 5 in (46 × 102 × 13 cm). private collection
After completing more than 150 sculptures in the original Sisyphean Circle series, a new direction emerged—the Sisyphean Holiday series. These works take a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach, suggesting that Sisyphus (and perhaps the artist) might finally deserve a break—a holiday from the endless task.
Here, the familiar “Sisyphean stone” is placed within a vessel form reminiscent of an Adirondack guideboat or canoe. The shift offers a playful twist, transforming the symbol of perpetual struggle into one of pause, reflection, and perhaps even leisure.
—John Van Alstine
April 2009. River stone, steel. Dimensions: 116 × 43 × 22 in (295 × 109 × 56 cm).
Collection: SUNY Potsdam, gift of Don and Kathy Lougheed.
After completing more than 150 sculptures in the original Sisyphean Circle series, a new direction emerged—the Sisyphean Holiday series. These works take a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach, suggesting that Sisyphus (and perhaps the artist) might finally deserve a break—a holiday from the endless task.
Here, the familiar “Sisyphean stone” is placed within a vessel form reminiscent of an Adirondack guideboat or canoe. The shift offers a playful twist, transforming the symbol of perpetual struggle into one of pause, reflection, and perhaps even leisure.
—John Van Alstine
April 2009. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 81 × 38 × 40 in (206 × 97 × 102 cm). Corp. collection: Hudson Headwaters Medical Group.
After completing more than 150 sculptures in the original Sisyphean Circle series, a new direction emerged—the Sisyphean Holiday series. These works take a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach, suggesting that Sisyphus (and perhaps the artist) might finally deserve a break—a holiday from the endless task.
Here, the familiar “Sisyphean stone” is placed within a vessel form reminiscent of an Adirondack guideboat or canoe. The shift offers a playful twist, transforming the symbol of perpetual struggle into one of pause, reflection, and perhaps even leisure.
—John Van Alstine
April 2009. River stone, slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 7.5 × 27 × 7 in (19 × 69 × 18 cm). private collection.
After completing more than 150 sculptures in the original Sisyphean Circle series, a new direction emerged—the Sisyphean Holiday series. These works take a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach, suggesting that Sisyphus (and perhaps the artist) might finally deserve a break—a holiday from the endless task.
Here, the familiar “Sisyphean stone” is placed within a vessel form reminiscent of an Adirondack guideboat or canoe. The shift offers a playful twist, transforming the symbol of perpetual struggle into one of pause, reflection, and perhaps even leisure.
—John Van Alstine
April 2009. River stone, slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 16 × 36 × 12 in (41 × 91 × 30 cm). Private collection.
After completing more than 150 sculptures in the original Sisyphean Circle series, a new direction emerged—the Sisyphean Holiday series. These works take a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach, suggesting that Sisyphus (and perhaps the artist) might finally deserve a break—a holiday from the endless task.
Here, the familiar “Sisyphean stone” is placed within a vessel form reminiscent of an Adirondack guideboat or canoe. The shift offers a playful twist, transforming the symbol of perpetual struggle into one of pause, reflection, and perhaps even leisure.
—John Van Alstine
April 2009. River stone, slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 6.5 × 24 × 12 in (17 × 61 × 30 cm).
After completing more than 150 sculptures in the original Sisyphean Circle series, a new direction emerged—the Sisyphean Holiday series. These works take a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach, suggesting that Sisyphus (and perhaps the artist) might finally deserve a break—a holiday from the endless task.
Here, the familiar “Sisyphean stone” is placed within a vessel form reminiscent of an Adirondack guideboat or canoe. The shift offers a playful twist, transforming the symbol of perpetual struggle into one of pause, reflection, and perhaps even leisure.
—John Van Alstine
April 2009. River stone, slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 12 × 24 × 7 in (30 × 61 × 18 cm). private collection.
After completing more than 150 sculptures in the original Sisyphean Circle series, a new direction emerged—the Sisyphean Holiday series. These works take a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach, suggesting that Sisyphus (and perhaps the artist) might finally deserve a break—a holiday from the endless task.
Here, the familiar “Sisyphean stone” is placed within a vessel form reminiscent of an Adirondack guideboat or canoe. The shift offers a playful twist, transforming the symbol of perpetual struggle into one of pause, reflection, and perhaps even leisure.
—John Van Alstine
April 2009. River stone, slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 10.5 × 31 × 6 in (27 × 79 × 15 cm). Private collection.
After completing more than 150 sculptures in the original Sisyphean Circle series, a new direction emerged—the Sisyphean Holiday series. These works take a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach, suggesting that Sisyphus (and perhaps the artist) might finally deserve a break—a holiday from the endless task.
Here, the familiar “Sisyphean stone” is placed within a vessel form reminiscent of an Adirondack guideboat or canoe. The shift offers a playful twist, transforming the symbol of perpetual struggle into one of pause, reflection, and perhaps even leisure.
—John Van Alstine
May 2009. River stone, slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 10 × 28 × 11 in (25 × 71 × 28 cm).
After completing more than 150 sculptures in the original Sisyphean Circle series, a new direction emerged—the Sisyphean Holiday series. These works take a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach, suggesting that Sisyphus (and perhaps the artist) might finally deserve a break—a holiday from the endless task.
Here, the familiar “Sisyphean stone” is placed within a vessel form reminiscent of an Adirondack guideboat or canoe. The shift offers a playful twist, transforming the symbol of perpetual struggle into one of pause, reflection, and perhaps even leisure.
—John Van Alstine
May 2009. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 10.25 × 17 × 9 in (26 × 43 × 23 cm). Private Collection.
SOLD.
August 2009. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 6.5 × 13.5 × 4 in (17 × 34 × 10 cm).
Catalulta XII reflects my ongoing interest in tools and tool-like forms as expressive metaphors. Removed from their practical function, these familiar forms suggest human ingenuity, effort, and our impulse to act upon and transform the physical world.
The sculpture also projects a sense of kinetic energy. Through the tension of weight, balance, and leverage, the forms appear poised for movement—as if something might pivot, swing, or release. Though physically static, Catalulta XII holds a sense of potential action and suspended energy.
John Van Alstine
September 2009. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 9 × 15.5 × 4 in (23 × 39 × 10 cm).
The title derives from the English word catapult, meaning “to launch forward.” The sculpture’s arrangement of stone and steel conveys a sense of arrested motion—energy captured and poised for release—a dynamic tension that has been a central focus of Van Alstine’s work throughout his career.
October 2009. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 9 × 16.5 × 6 in (23 × 42 × 15 cm).
Sisyphean Holiday Series
After completing more than 150 sculptures in the original Sisyphean Circle series, a new direction emerged—the Sisyphean Holiday series. These works are presented in a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek spirit, suggesting that Sisyphus (and the artist) might finally deserve a break—a kind of holiday from the endless task.
In these sculptures, the familiar “Sisyphean stone” is placed within a vessel form reminiscent of an Adirondack guideboat or canoe. The shift introduces a playful twist, transforming the symbol of perpetual struggle into one of pause, reflection, and perhaps even leisure.
—John Van Alstine
April 2009. Painted steel. Dimensions: 27 × 35 × 17 in (69 × 89 × 43 cm).
Commission for Michigan State Univ.
2008
SOLD
April 2008. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 10 × 13 × 4 in (25 × 33 × 10 cm). Private Collection.
The Catapulta series reflects my ongoing interest in tools and tool-like forms as expressive metaphors. Removed from their practical function, these familiar forms suggest human ingenuity, effort, and our impulse to act upon and transform the physical world.
These works also projects a sense of kinetic energy. Through the tension of weight, balance, and leverage, the forms appear poised for movement—as if something might pivot, swing, or release. Though physically static, Catalulta XII holds a sense of potential action and suspended energy.
John Van Alstine
April 2008. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 10 × 14 × 4 in (25 × 36 × 10 cm).
The Catapulta series reflects my ongoing interest in tools and tool-like forms as expressive metaphors. Removed from their practical function, these familiar forms suggest human ingenuity, effort, and our impulse to act upon and transform the physical world.
These works also projects a sense of kinetic energy. Through the tension of weight, balance, and leverage, the forms appear poised for movement—as if something might pivot, swing, or release. Though physically static, Catalulta XII holds a sense of potential action and suspended energy.
John Van Alstine
May 2008. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 8.5 × 13 × 4 in (22 × 33 × 10 cm). Private Collection
The title derives from the English word catapult, meaning “to launch forward.” The sculpture’s arrangement of stone and steel conveys a sense of arrested motion—energy captured and poised for release—a dynamic tension that has been a central focus of Van Alstine’s work throughout his career.
SOLD
May 2008. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 9 × 12.5 × 4 in (23 × 32 × 10 cm). Private Collection
The title derives from the English word catapult, meaning “to launch forward.” The sculpture’s arrangement of stone and steel conveys a sense of arrested motion—energy captured and poised for release—a dynamic tension that has been a central focus of Van Alstine’s work throughout his career.
SOLD
May 2008. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 9.5 × 13 × 5 in (24 × 33 × 13 cm). Private Collection
The title derives from the English word catapult, meaning “to launch forward.” The sculpture’s arrangement of stone and steel conveys a sense of arrested motion—energy captured and poised for release—a dynamic tension that has been a central focus of Van Alstine’s work throughout his career.
SOLD
June 2008. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 10 × 12 × 4.5 in (25 × 30 × 11 cm). Private Collection.
The title derives from the English word catapult, meaning “to launch forward.” The sculpture’s arrangement of stone and steel conveys a sense of arrested motion—energy captured and poised for release—a dynamic tension that has been a central focus of Van Alstine’s work throughout his career.
SOLD
June 2008. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 10 × 12 × 4.5 in (25 × 30 × 11 cm). Private Collection.
The title derives from the English word catapult, meaning “to launch forward.” The sculpture’s arrangement of stone and steel conveys a sense of arrested motion—energy captured and poised for release—a dynamic tension that has been a central focus of Van Alstine’s work throughout his career.
SOLD
July 2008. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 9 × 15.5 × 4 in (23 × 39 × 10 cm). Private Collection.
The title derives from the English word catapult, meaning “to launch forward.” The sculpture’s arrangement of stone and steel conveys a sense of arrested motion—energy captured and poised for release—a dynamic tension that has been a central focus of Van Alstine’s work throughout his career.
SOLD
July 2008. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 9.5 × 15 × 4 in (24 × 38 × 10 cm). Private Collection.
The title derives from the English word catapult, meaning “to launch forward.” The sculpture’s arrangement of stone and steel conveys a sense of arrested motion—energy captured and poised for release—a dynamic tension that has been a central focus of Van Alstine’s work throughout his career.
SOLD
September 2008. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 10 × 15.5 × 4 in (25 × 39 × 10 cm). Private Collectio
SOLD
November 2008. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 14 × 10 × 4 in (36 × 25 × 10 cm). Private Collection.
The title derives from the English word catapult, meaning “to launch forward.” The sculpture’s arrangement of stone and steel conveys a sense of arrested motion—energy captured and poised for release—a dynamic tension that has been a central focus of Van Alstine’s work throughout his career.
November 2008. Granite, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 14 × 24 × 4 in (36 × 61 × 10 cm). Private Collection.
The title derives from two Latin words—fūnis, meaning “rope,” and ambulāre, “to walk”—and refers to a tightrope walker. The meaning is reinforced by the sculpture’s dynamic horizontal “balancing baton” and its overall sense of precarious poise. It evokes the physical balance, agility, and daring of a circus performer, while perhaps more poignantly suggesting mental agility—the ability to maintain equilibrium amid uncertainty and change.
A celebrated modern funambulist is Philippe Petit, who became famous for his unauthorized high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. His feat became an enduring image of extraordinary balance, concentration, risk, and resolve.
December 2008. Granite, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 13 × 20 × 6 in (33 × 51 × 15 cm). Private Collection - Ohio
The title derives from two Latin words—fūnis, meaning “rope,” and ambulāre, “to walk”—and refers to a tightrope walker. The meaning is reinforced by the sculpture’s dynamic horizontal “balancing baton” and its overall sense of precarious poise. It evokes the physical balance, agility, and daring of a circus performer, while perhaps more poignantly suggesting mental agility—the ability to maintain equilibrium amid uncertainty and change.
A celebrated modern funambulist is Philippe Petit, who became famous for his unauthorized high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. His feat became an enduring image of extraordinary balance, concentration, risk, and resolve.
2007
March 2007. Slate, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 47 × 21 × 13 in (119 × 53 × 33 cm).
Corporate Collection: Pittsburgh, PA
April 2007. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 11.5 × 14 × 4.5 in (29 × 36 × 11 cm). Collection: Adirondack Museum, Blue Mt. Lake, NY
The Broadreach Series and specifically Broadreach III (Red Billow), was inspired by my sailing in the Adirondack. As I understand the term, it is the “run” you make after you have worked hard tacking back and forth and finally reach a point when you can let out the big spinnaker sail (abstractly portrayed in the sculpture by the curving red round element), lean back and “go with the wind”. It is the time to kick back and enjoy the fruits of ones labors. “Millertime!”
January 2007. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 11.5 × 16 × 4 in (29 × 41 × 10 cm).
The Broadreach Series was inspired by my sailing in the Adirondack. As I understand the term, it is the “run” you make after you have worked hard tacking back and forth and finally reach a point when you can let out the big spinnaker sail (abstractly portrayed in the sculpture by the curving red round element), lean back and “go with the wind”. It is the time to kick back and enjoy the fruits of ones labors. “Millertime!”
May 2007. River stone, steel. Dimensions: 14 × 30 × 4 in (36 × 76 × 10 cm). Private collection.
The title derives from two Latin words—fūnis, meaning “rope,” and ambulāre, “to walk”—and refers to a tightrope walker. The meaning is reinforced by the sculpture’s dynamic horizontal “balancing baton” and its overall sense of precarious poise. It evokes the physical balance, agility, and daring of a circus performer, while perhaps more poignantly suggesting mental agility—the ability to maintain equilibrium amid uncertainty and change.
A celebrated modern funambulist is Philippe Petit, who became famous for his unauthorized high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. His feat became an enduring image of extraordinary balance, concentration, risk, and resolve.
May 2007. River stone, steel. Dimensions: 12 × 24 × 3.5 in (30 × 61 × 9 cm). Private collection.
The title derives from two Latin words—fūnis, meaning “rope,” and ambulāre, “to walk”—and refers to a tightrope walker. The meaning is reinforced by the sculpture’s dynamic horizontal “balancing baton” and its overall sense of precarious poise. It evokes the physical balance, agility, and daring of a circus performer, while perhaps more poignantly suggesting mental agility—the ability to maintain equilibrium amid uncertainty and change.
A celebrated modern funambulist is Philippe Petit, who became famous for his unauthorized high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York’s World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. His feat became an enduring image of extraordinary balance, concentration, risk, and resolve.
December 2007. Stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 8.5 × 15 × 4 in (22 × 38 × 10 cm). private collection
The title derives from the English word catapult, meaning “to launch forward.” The sculpture’s arrangement of stone and steel conveys a sense of arrested motion—energy captured and poised for release—a dynamic tension that has been a central focus of Van Alstine’s work throughout his career.
December 2007. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 7.7 × 15 × 4.5 in (20 × 38 × 11 cm). Private Collection
The title derives from the English word catapult, meaning “to launch forward.” The sculpture’s arrangement of stone and steel conveys a sense of arrested motion—energy captured and poised for release—a dynamic tension that has been a central focus of Van Alstine’s work throughout his career.
2006
June 2006. Steel, titanium, aluminum. Dimensions: 35 × 20 × 10 in (89 × 51 × 25 cm).
Large scale commission for Indianapolis International Airport. Completed in 2008.
April 2006. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 28 × 28 × 6 in (71 × 71 × 15 cm).
Collection: US Stae Department - Art in Embassies - Kingston, Jamaica
April 2006. Steel, stone. Dimensions: 11.5 × 8 × 4 in (29 × 20 × 10 cm).
Stone from Drei Türme. (Three Towers) are a prominent 2,830-meter mountain massif in the Rätikon range, serving as a landmark of the Montafon valley in Austria. Located on the Swiss border, they consist of three main peaks, popular for hiking and climbing, particularly accessible via the Lindauer Hütte
April 2006. Steel, stone. Dimensions: 6 × 9 × 3 in (15 × 23 × 8 cm).
Stone from Drei Türme (Three Towers) are a prominent 2,830-meter mountain massif in the Rätikon range, serving as a landmark of the Montafon valley in Austria. Located on the Swiss border, they consist of three main peaks, popular for hiking and climbing, particularly accessible via the Lindauer Hütte
April 2006. Slate, steel. Scale model for 2008 Beijing Olympic piece. Installed in Olympic park and as of 2026 still there.
August 2006. Pigmented slate, steel. Dimensions: 9 × 13 × 3 in (23 × 33 × 8 cm).
Collection US Embassy - Katmandu, Nepal
August 2006. Pigmented slate, steel. Dimensions: 10 × 13 × 4 in (25 × 33 × 10 cm).
No photo available.
November 2006. Slate, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 29.5 × 31 × 8 in (75 × 79 × 20 cm).
The Lunge series explores implied movement and gesture through an abstract sculptural language. The title Lunge suggests a sudden extension of the body—a reaching, thrusting, or shifting of weight that gives the sculpture a sense of physical momentum and directed energy.
While not figurative in a literal sense, the work draws on my interest in the expressiveness of the human figure. Its balance, tension, and spatial gesture suggest a body caught in motion, allowing the sculpture to convey a human presence through posture and movement rather than recognizable form.
November 2006. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 21 × 33 × 6 in (53 × 84 × 15 cm).
The Lunge series explores implied movement and gesture through an abstract sculptural language. The title Lunge suggests a sudden extension of the body—a reaching, thrusting, or shifting of weight that gives the sculpture a sense of physical momentum and directed energy.
While not figurative in a literal sense, the work draws on my interest in the expressiveness of the human figure. Its balance, tension, and spatial gesture suggest a body caught in motion, allowing the sculpture to convey a human presence through posture and movement rather than recognizable form.
November 2006. Bluestone, steel. Dimensions: 48 × 48 × 2 in (122 × 122 × 5 cm).
Two versions (1st stone replaced)
November 2006. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 14 × 19 × 4 in (36 × 48 × 10 cm).
Cannibalized - parts used to make new work.
2005
January 2005. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 21 × 20 × 6 in (53 × 51 × 15 cm).
Cudgel - a short, thick stick used as a weapon.
January 2005. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 16 × 30 × 6 in (41 × 76 × 15 cm).
Title references Taughannock Falls in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York know for it abundance of geologic slate formations.
January 2005. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 19 × 35 × 9 in (48 × 89 × 23 cm).
Flèche
Pronunciation: 'flesh, flèche
Function: noun
Etymology: French, literally, arrow, from Old French fleche, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch vlieke arrow, Old English flEogan to fly
: SPIRE ; especially : a slender spire above the intersection of the nave and transepts of a church
also: in the sport of Fencing : defined as a running attack with arm extended
May 2005. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 21 × 26 × 8 in (53 × 66 × 20 cm).
flèche
Pronunciation: 'flesh, flèche
Function: noun
Etymology: French, literally, arrow, from Old French fleche, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch vlieke arrow, Old English flEogan to fly
: SPIRE ; especially : a slender spire above the intersection of the nave and transepts of a church
also: in the sport of Fencing : defined as a running attack with arm extended
June 2005. Slate, sealed steel. Dimensions: 44 × 90 × 18 in (112 × 229 × 46 cm).
flèche
Pronunciation: 'flesh, flèche
Function: noun
Etymology: French, literally, arrow, from Old French fleche, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch vlieke arrow, Old English flEogan to fly
: SPIRE ; especially : a slender spire above the intersection of the nave and transepts of a church
also: in the sport of Fencing : defined as a running attack with arm extended
June 2005. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 26 × 36 × 7 in (66 × 91 × 18 cm).
The title comes from the gymnastic term barani, a half-twisting front somersault. The arrangement of stone and steel suggests a body caught mid-rotation, suspended between ascent and descent. As in much of Van Alstine’s work, the sculpture captures a moment of arrested motion—balancing weight, tension, and gravity while suggesting energy poised in mid-action.
September 2005. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 24.5 × 15 × 7 in (62 × 38 × 18 cm).
En Pointe - in dance means to be on toes.
September 2005. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 17 × 24 × 7 in (43 × 61 × 18 cm).
The Lunge series explores implied movement and gesture through an abstract sculptural language. The title Lunge suggests a sudden extension of the body—a reaching, thrusting, or shifting of weight that gives the sculpture a sense of physical momentum and directed energy.
While not figurative in a literal sense, the work draws on my interest in the expressiveness of the human figure. Its balance, tension, and spatial gesture suggest a body caught in motion, allowing the sculpture to convey a human presence through posture and movement rather than recognizable form.
September 2005. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 25 × 34 × 9 in (64 × 86 × 23 cm).
The first Sisyphean Circle.
Collection US State Department - Art in Embassies, Santiago Chile
October 2005. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 44 × 42 × 19 in (112 × 107 × 48 cm).
A statio was a Roman road station, post, or anchorage, offering accommodation for travelers and messengers.
December 2005. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 10.5 × 10.5 × 6 in (27 × 27 × 15 cm).
Private collection - Aspen, Co
Click here to see Statio at collector site - Aspen
2004
March 2004. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 25 × 45 × 9 in (64 × 114 × 23 cm).
Private collection - Washington, DC
The Tiller series grows from my interest in tools and agricultural implements as extensions of the human hand—objects that cultivate, shape, and engage the land. The title also evokes the tiller of a boat, a simple device used to steer and determine direction. Bringing these meanings together, the works explore the relationship between cultivation and navigation—our impulse both to shape the world around us and to chart a course through it.
January 2004. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 29 × 50 × 14 in (74 × 127 × 36 cm).
Private collection - Akien, SC
April 2004. Bronze. Dimensions: 18 × 23 × 7 in (46 × 58 × 18 cm).
Cannibalized to make "Rocker 04-20" (T-20-21)
May 2004. Oil enamel on steel. Dimensions: 20 × 34 × 8 in (51 × 86 × 20 cm).
Private collection - Pittsburgh
Arabesque - dance position where the body is balanced on one leg or toe, the other leg extended.
May 2004. Oil enamel on steel, stone. Dimensions: 14 × 31 × 7 in (36 × 79 × 18 cm).
"Acciacato" - musical term: Broken down, crushed; the sounding of the notes of a chord not quite simultaneously, but from bottom to top.
May 2004. Enamel on steel, granite. Dimensions: 60 × 40 × 22 in (152 × 102 × 56 cm).
A Cambré describes an arched movement of a dancer’s upper body, bending from the waist upwards; the movement can be done forwards, backwards or sideways. I use dance references in many of my works to create a conceptual framework to view and understand the heavy assemblage of earth-bound elements bringing life and meaning to its choreography.
2nd Street Sunwork
2003–04
Steel, aluminum, stone, and sunlight
30 × 30 × 12 ft (9.1 × 9.1 × 3.7 m)
Commissioned by NJ TRANSIT, with funding provided by the Federal Transit Administration and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.
2nd Street Sunwork (2003–04) was commissioned for the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail station in Hoboken, New Jersey. Unlike Van Alstine's earlier solar calendars, which employed monumental granite blocks, this work incorporates salvaged maritime artifacts—including a large ocean buoy and other industrial steel elements—that reflect Hoboken's rich waterfront and shipbuilding heritage. Functioning as both a traditional sundial and a solar calendar, the sculpture tells the hours of the day while, at solar noon, its shadow records the changing seasons.
By combining found industrial objects with the ancient concept of a solar calendar, 2nd Street Sunwork bridges the city's maritime history with the timeless rhythms of the natural world. The commission demonstrates Van Alstine's ability to adapt his artistic vocabulary to the unique character of a place, creating a work that is both deeply rooted in local history and universal in its celebration of time, light, and landscape.
SOLD
December 2004. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 22 × 29 × 8 in (56 × 74 × 20 cm). Private Collection.
The Lunge series explores implied movement and gesture through an abstract sculptural language. The title Lunge suggests a sudden extension of the body—a reaching, thrusting, or shifting of weight that gives the sculpture a sense of physical momentum and directed energy.
While not figurative in a literal sense, the work draws on my interest in the expressiveness of the human figure. Its balance, tension, and spatial gesture suggest a body caught in motion, allowing the sculpture to convey a human presence through posture and movement rather than recognizable form.
July 2003. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 21 × 34 × 8 in (53 × 86 × 20 cm).
Collection - US Embassy, Katmandu
December 2004. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 27 × 23 × 7 in (69 × 58 × 18 cm).
Private collection
2003
February 2003. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 68 × 36 × 24 in (173 × 91 × 61 cm).
Cannabilized
February 2003. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 11 × 18 × 5 in (28 × 46 × 13 cm).
Private colletion
March 2003. Bronze, black granite. Dimensions: 26 × 21 × 6 in (66 × 53 × 15 cm).
Private collection
January 2003. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 15.5 × 9 × 4 in (39 × 23 × 10 cm).
A Cambré describes an arched movement of a dancer’s upper body, bending from the waist upwards; the movement can be done forwards, backwards or sideways. I use dance references in many of my works to create a conceptual framework to view and understand the heavy assemblage of earth-bound elements bringing life and meaning to its choreography.
January 2003. Bronze. Dimensions: 13.5 × 22 × 6 in (34 × 56 × 15 cm).
Private collection
January 2003. Bronze. Dimensions: 13 × 19 × 5 in (33 × 48 × 13 cm). Private collection - New York
Many of Van Alstine’s works take inspiration from the movement of the human body. This work can be seen as a kind of self-portrait, suggesting his studio process—literally juggling and repositioning the individual elements of a sculpture until they achieve a moment of perfect balance, then freezing that moment in space through welding. More universally, juggling becomes a metaphor for the way we all balance the competing demands of family, work, play, and responsibility.
The anvil, which appears in a number of the artist’s works, represents both the ultimate heavy object to “juggle” and the act of assembly itself—the forging together of object, material, and ideas that is central to Van Alstine’s work.
January 2003. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 13 × 20 × 5 in (33 × 51 × 13 cm).
Cannibalized 2020
January 2003. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 17 × 25 × 7 in (43 × 64 × 18 cm).
Private collection - Washington, DC
January 2003. Stained granite, steel. Dimensions: 9 × 11 × 6 in (23 × 28 × 15 cm).
Private collection Greenwich, Conn.
January 2003. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 20 × 24 × 8 in (51 × 61 × 20 cm).
Private collection - Austin, TX
Unda is the Latin word for wave.
January 2003. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 16 × 28 × 6 in (41 × 71 × 15 cm).
Private collection
planche is a gymnastic term - a horizonal handstand
SOLD
January 2003. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 22 × 29 × 8 in (56 × 74 × 20 cm). Private Collection, Washington, DC.
The Lunge series explores implied movement and gesture through an abstract sculptural language. The title Lunge suggests a sudden extension of the body—a reaching, thrusting, or shifting of weight that gives the sculpture a sense of physical momentum and directed energy.
While not figurative in a literal sense, the work draws on my interest in the expressiveness of the human figure. Its balance, tension, and spatial gesture suggest a body caught in motion, allowing the sculpture to convey a human presence through posture and movement rather than recognizable form.
July 2003. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 21 × 33 × 7 in (53 × 84 × 18 cm).
The title comes from the gymnastic term barani, a half-twisting front somersault. The arrangement of stone and steel suggests a body caught mid-rotation, suspended between ascent and descent. As in much of Van Alstine’s work, the sculpture captures a moment of arrested motion—balancing weight, tension, and gravity while suggesting energy poised in mid-action.
October 2003. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 20 × 50 × 12 in (51 × 127 × 30 cm).
Collection: SUNY Amherst, Buffalo, New York, President's office
December 2003. Oil enamel on stone, steel. Dimensions: 22 × 32 × 10 in (56 × 81 × 25 cm).
SAGITTA: Latin for arrow
Constellation: A dim but distinctive constellation in the northern sky, representing an arrow and included in the original 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy. It is not to be confused with the larger constellation Sagittarius.
Mythology: The constellation is associated with the arrow of Hercules, the arrow of Apollo, or the arrow of Eros (Cupid).
2002
January 2002. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 13.5 × 24 × 6 in (34 × 61 × 15 cm).
Private collection
Planche, 2002
Taking its title from the gymnastic planche—a horizontal handstand in which the body appears suspended against gravity—Planche exemplifies John Van Alstine’s exploration of the implied human figure. Rather than depicting the body literally, Van Alstine translates its physical dynamics into stone and steel. Weight, extension, tension, balance, and counterbalance transform the sculpture into a kind of arrested gesture. Like the gymnast, whose apparent stillness depends upon extraordinary exertion, the work suggests movement held momentarily in equilibrium. Throughout Van Alstine’s sculpture, references to dance, gymnastics, and fencing provide a vocabulary for this choreography of materials: granite assumes the weight and gravitational presence of the body, while steel extends, braces, pivots, and reaches. Planche thus occupies a space between abstraction and figuration, inviting the viewer to experience sculpture not simply as an arrangement of materials, but as a body negotiating gravity.
2002. Black granite and painted steel, 16íh
Installed at the entrance of the Dulles Trade Center, near Dulles Airport in the Washington DC area. Commissioned by Buchanan Partners, Inc. Washington, DC, it was designed to suggest and convey the soaring activities of the airport. (Photos here were taken before final landscaping.)
Updraft(1995) celebrates movement, aspiration, and flight. Combining monumental granite with stainless steel, the work captures the moment of upward lift, its sweeping forms suggesting both the aerodynamic forces of flight and the natural currents of rising air. Positioned at the entrance to a major business campus near Washington Dulles International Airport, the sculpture establishes a strong dialogue between art, architecture, and its surrounding landscape.
Drawing inspiration from both nature and technology, Updraft reflects John Van Alstine's continuing exploration of balance, tension, and transformation. The commission marks an important evolution in his public work, as increasingly dynamic forms began to express not only the enduring strength of stone, but also the energy and motion contained within it.
MORE INFO: Updraft chapter in AMERICAN MONUMENTS
March 2002. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 13 × 15 × 4 in (33 × 38 × 10 cm).
Private Collection
March 2002. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 21 × 31 × 9 in (53 × 79 × 23 cm).
Sa*git"ta, n. [L., an arrow.] 1. (Astron.) A small constellation north of Aquila; the Arrow.
April 2002. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 45.5 × 17 × 8 in (116 × 43 × 20 cm). private collection
Many of Van Alstine’s works take inspiration from the movement of the human body. This work can be seen as a kind of self-portrait, suggesting his studio process—literally juggling and repositioning the individual elements of a sculpture until they achieve a moment of perfect balance, then freezing that moment in space through welding. More universally, juggling becomes a metaphor for the way we all balance the competing demands of family, work, play, and responsibility.
The anvil, which appears in a number of the artist’s works, represents both the ultimate heavy object to “juggle” and the act of assembly itself—the forging together of object, material, and ideas that is central to Van Alstine’s work.
April 2002. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 12 × 15 × 4 in (30 × 38 × 10 cm).
The Tiller series grows from my interest in tools and agricultural implements as extensions of the human hand—objects that cultivate, shape, and engage the land. The title also evokes the tiller of a boat, a simple device used to steer and determine direction. Bringing these meanings together, the works explore the relationship between cultivation and navigation—our impulse both to shape the world around us and to chart a course through it.
April 2002. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 20 × 20 × 4 in (51 × 51 × 10 cm). Cannibalized
Many of Van Alstine’s works take inspiration from the movement of the human body. This work can be seen as a kind of self-portrait, suggesting his studio process—literally juggling and repositioning the individual elements of a sculpture until they achieve a moment of perfect balance, then freezing that moment in space through welding. More universally, juggling becomes a metaphor for the way we all balance the competing demands of family, work, play, and responsibility.
The anvil, which appears in a number of the artist’s works, represents both the ultimate heavy object to “juggle” and the act of assembly itself—the forging together of object, material, and ideas that is central to Van Alstine’s work.
May 2002. River stone, bronze. Dimensions: 47 × 18 × 10 in (119 × 46 × 25 cm).
Private collection - Santa fe, NM
Artist Statement – John Van Alstine
“Many of my works incorporate anvils, either real or cast. The anvil's form, reminiscent of a boat or vessel, carries an inherent suggestion of journey—an idea that has long fascinated me. As a metalworker and “assembler,” I regard the anvil as both a physical and conceptual forge, the place where things come together and where the act of making transforms into art. For me, it holds an almost sacred presence—an altar of creation. In fact, I've titled a number of these works Ara, the Latin word for “altar.”
Throughout my practice, I strive to breathe a sense of life and airiness into materials that are otherwise dense and earthbound—rough granite, industrial-scale steel, and other heavy elements. The anvil, perhaps the ultimate emblem of weight and solidity, becomes especially compelling when lifted into the air. That gesture introduces a dynamic tension, a sense of levitation that animates the work and challenges our expectations of gravity and mass.”
May 2002. River stone, bronze. Dimensions: 15 × 21 × 7 in (38 × 53 × 18 cm)
Private collection
Artist Statement – John Van Alstine
“Many of my works incorporate anvils, either real or cast. The anvil's form, reminiscent of a boat or vessel, carries an inherent suggestion of journey—an idea that has long fascinated me. As a metalworker and “assembler,” I regard the anvil as both a physical and conceptual forge, the place where things come together and where the act of making transforms into art. For me, it holds an almost sacred presence—an altar of creation. In fact, I've titled a number of these works Ara, the Latin word for “altar.”
Throughout my practice, I strive to breathe a sense of life and airiness into materials that are otherwise dense and earthbound—rough granite, industrial-scale steel, and other heavy elements. The anvil, perhaps the ultimate emblem of weight and solidity, becomes especially compelling when lifted into the air. That gesture introduces a dynamic tension, a sense of levitation that animates the work and challenges our expectations of gravity and mass.”
May 2002. Bronze, green granite. Dimensions: 13.5 × 24 × 6 in (34 × 61 × 15 cm).
Private collection
May 2002. River stone, bronze. Dimensions: 21 × 13 × 6 in (53 × 33 × 15 cm).
Artist Statement – John Van Alstine
“Many of my works incorporate anvils, either real or cast. The anvil's form, reminiscent of a boat or vessel, carries an inherent suggestion of journey—an idea that has long fascinated me. As a metalworker and “assembler,” I regard the anvil as both a physical and conceptual forge, the place where things come together and where the act of making transforms into art. For me, it holds an almost sacred presence—an altar of creation. In fact, I've titled a number of these works Ara, the Latin word for “altar.”
Throughout my practice, I strive to breathe a sense of life and airiness into materials that are otherwise dense and earthbound—rough granite, industrial-scale steel, and other heavy elements. The anvil, perhaps the ultimate emblem of weight and solidity, becomes especially compelling when lifted into the air. That gesture introduces a dynamic tension, a sense of levitation that animates the work and challenges our expectations of gravity and mass.”
May 2002. River stone, bronze. Dimensions: 12 × 24 × 4 in (30 × 61 × 10 cm).
Artist Statement – John Van Alstine
"Many of my works incorporate anvils, either real or cast. The anvil's form, reminiscent of a boat or vessel, carries an inherent suggestion of journey—an idea that has long fascinated me. As a metalworker and “assembler,” I regard the anvil as both a physical and conceptual forge, the place where things come together and where the act of making transforms into art. For me, it holds an almost sacred presence—an altar of creation. In fact, I've titled a number of these works Ara, the Latin word for “altar.”
Throughout my practice, I strive to breathe a sense of life and airiness into materials that are otherwise dense and earthbound—rough granite, industrial-scale steel, and other heavy elements. The anvil, perhaps the ultimate emblem of weight and solidity, becomes especially compelling when lifted into the air. That gesture introduces a dynamic tension, a sense of levitation that animates the work and challenges our expectations of gravity and mass.”
June 2002. River stone, bronze. Dimensions: 12 × 22 × 5 in (30 × 56 × 13 cm).
Private collection - San Francisco
Artist Statement – John Van Alstine
“Many of my works incorporate anvils, either real or cast. The anvil's form, reminiscent of a boat or vessel, carries an inherent suggestion of journey—an idea that has long fascinated me. As a metalworker and “assembler,” I regard the anvil as both a physical and conceptual forge, the place where things come together and where the act of making transforms into art. For me, it holds an almost sacred presence—an altar of creation. In fact, I've titled a number of these works Ara, the Latin word for “altar.”
Throughout my practice, I strive to breathe a sense of life and airiness into materials that are otherwise dense and earthbound—rough granite, industrial-scale steel, and other heavy elements. The anvil, perhaps the ultimate emblem of weight and solidity, becomes especially compelling when lifted into the air. That gesture introduces a dynamic tension, a sense of levitation that animates the work and challenges our expectations of gravity and mass.”
July 2002. Green granite, steel. Dimensions: 67 × 36 × 16 in (170 × 91 × 41 cm).
Private collection - Denver
July 2002. Green granite, steel. Dimensions: 62 × 48 × 20 in (157 × 122 × 51 cm).
Private collection - Washington, DC
October 2002. Black granite, bronze. Dimensions: 55 × 44 × 15 in (140 × 112 × 38 cm).
Private collection - Kettering, OH
September 2002. Indiana Limestone, steel. Dimensions: 12’ high.
From: American Monuments 2025
The monument is a living memorial to the memory of September 11, 2001. The sculpture heavy with stone, reflecting both the weightiness of the date in American history and the sturdiness of the people’s resolve in confronting the largest attack ever on the nation’s soil.
Every year on September 11, local crowds gather around the Kettering 9-11 Memorial. At solar noon, as the tip of the noon shadow slides across the stainless-steel marker, they collectively and solemnly remember the events of that day.
April 2002. Bronze, slate. Dimensions: 15 × 23 × 5 in (38 × 58 × 13 cm). (2021 Slate version)
The Tiller series grows from my interest in tools and agricultural implements as extensions of the human hand—objects that cultivate, shape, and engage the land. The title also evokes the tiller of a boat, a simple device used to steer and determine direction. Bringing these meanings together, the works explore the relationship between cultivation and navigation—our impulse both to shape the world around us and to chart a course through it.
September 2001. Indiana Limestone, steel. Dimensions: 17 × 17 × 6 in (43 × 43 × 15 cm).
Private collection
September 2002. Indiana Limestone, steel. Dimensions: 21 × 20 × 7 in (53 × 51 × 18 cm).
Private collection - Kettering, OH
August 2002. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 12’ × 5’ × 5’.
Dedicated March 22, 2003 to Charles L Reed, FBI Agent killed in the line of duty March 22, 1996, Reed Memorial Park, Harleysville, PA.
The Reed Memorial was Van Alstine’s first of three memorial projects and an extension of his Calendar series, with the first completed in 1986. Using the concept of marking the sun’s position with a metal "stylus" that records the placement of its shadow on a specific day and time, the Charles Reed Memorial commemorates the death of undercover FBI agent Charles Reed, who was killed in the line of duty on March 22, 1996, in Philadelphia. The sculpture was dedicated on the same date seven years later, in 2003, in Reed’s hometown of Harleysville, PA.
MORE INFO: Reed Memorial chapter in AMERICAN MONUMENTS
December 2002. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 25 × 13 × 6 in (64 × 33 × 15 cm).
Private collection Saudia Arabia
Artist Statement – John Van Alstine
“Many of my works incorporate anvils, either real or cast. The anvil's form, reminiscent of a boat or vessel, carries an inherent suggestion of journey—an idea that has long fascinated me. As a metalworker and “assembler,” I regard the anvil as both a physical and conceptual forge, the place where things come together and where the act of making transforms into art. For me, it holds an almost sacred presence—an altar of creation. In fact, I've titled a number of these works Ara, the Latin word for “altar.”
Throughout my practice, I strive to breathe a sense of life and airiness into materials that are otherwise dense and earthbound—rough granite, industrial-scale steel, and other heavy elements. The anvil, perhaps the ultimate emblem of weight and solidity, becomes especially compelling when lifted into the air. That gesture introduces a dynamic tension, a sense of levitation that animates the work and challenges our expectations of gravity and mass.”
December 2002. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 18 × 9 × 5 in (46 × 23 × 13 cm).
Private collection - New York State
Artist Statement – John Van Alstine
“Many of my works incorporate anvils, either real or cast. The anvil's form, reminiscent of a boat or vessel, carries an inherent suggestion of journey—an idea that has long fascinated me. As a metalworker and “assembler,” I regard the anvil as both a physical and conceptual forge, the place where things come together and where the act of making transforms into art. For me, it holds an almost sacred presence—an altar of creation. In fact, I've titled a number of these works Ara, the Latin word for “altar.”
Throughout my practice, I strive to breathe a sense of life and airiness into materials that are otherwise dense and earthbound—rough granite, industrial-scale steel, and other heavy elements. The anvil, perhaps the ultimate emblem of weight and solidity, becomes especially compelling when lifted into the air. That gesture introduces a dynamic tension, a sense of levitation that animates the work and challenges our expectations of gravity and mass.”
December 2002. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 14 × 17 × 6 in (36 × 43 × 15 cm).
Private collection - Montreal
2001
January 2001. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 21 × 9 × 6 in (53 × 23 × 15 cm).
Private collection
bal·last /'bal?st/
verb;
give stability to (a ship) by putting a heavy substance in its bilge.
"the vessel has been ballasted to give the necessary floating stability"
noun;
heavy material, such as gravel, sand, iron, or lead, placed low in a vessel to improve its stability.
"the hull had insufficient ballast"
January 2001. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 33 × 16 × 9 in (84 × 41 × 23 cm). Private Collection
Many of Van Alstine’s works take inspiration from the movement of the human body. This work can be seen as a kind of self-portrait, suggesting his studio process—literally juggling and repositioning the individual elements of a sculpture until they achieve a moment of perfect balance, then freezing that moment in space through welding. More universally, juggling becomes a metaphor for the way we all balance the competing demands of family, work, play, and responsibility.
February 2001. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 44 × 22 × 8 in (112 × 56 × 20 cm).
Private collection - Scottsdale, AZ
Artist Statement – John Van Alstine
“Many of my works incorporate anvils, either real or cast. The anvil's form, reminiscent of a boat or vessel, carries an inherent suggestion of journey—an idea that has long fascinated me. As a metalworker and “assembler,” I regard the anvil as both a physical and conceptual forge, the place where things come together and where the act of making transforms into art. For me, it holds an almost sacred presence—an altar of creation. In fact, I've titled a number of these works Ara, the Latin word for “altar.”
Throughout my practice, I strive to breathe a sense of life and airiness into materials that are otherwise dense and earthbound—rough granite, industrial-scale steel, and other heavy elements. The anvil, perhaps the ultimate emblem of weight and solidity, becomes especially compelling when lifted into the air. That gesture introduces a dynamic tension, a sense of levitation that animates the work and challenges our expectations of gravity and mass.”
February 2001. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 46 × 19 × 8 in (117 × 48 × 20 cm).
Corporate collection - Four seasons Hotel, St Louis
Artist Statement – John Van Alstine
“Many of my works incorporate anvils, either real or cast. The anvil's form, reminiscent of a boat or vessel, carries an inherent suggestion of journey—an idea that has long fascinated me. As a metalworker and “assembler,” I regard the anvil as both a physical and conceptual forge, the place where things come together and where the act of making transforms into art. For me, it holds an almost sacred presence—an altar of creation. In fact, I've titled a number of these works Ara, the Latin word for “altar.”
Throughout my practice, I strive to breathe a sense of life and airiness into materials that are otherwise dense and earthbound—rough granite, industrial-scale steel, and other heavy elements. The anvil, perhaps the ultimate emblem of weight and solidity, becomes especially compelling when lifted into the air. That gesture introduces a dynamic tension, a sense of levitation that animates the work and challenges our expectations of gravity and mass.”
March 2001. Bronze, green granite. Dimensions: 10.5 × 12 × 4 in (27 × 30 × 10 cm).
Private collection - Pittsburgh, PA
March 2001. Bronze granite. Dimensions: 38 × 16 × 8 in (97 × 41 × 20 cm). Private collection - Scottsdale, AZ
Many of Van Alstine’s works take inspiration from the movement of the human body. This work can be seen as a kind of self-portrait, suggesting his studio process—literally juggling and repositioning the individual elements of a sculpture until they achieve a moment of perfect balance, then freezing that moment in space through welding. More universally, juggling becomes a metaphor for the way we all balance the competing demands of family, work, play, and responsibility.
April 2001. Green granite, bronze. Dimensions: 24 × 15 × 6 in (61 × 38 × 15 cm).
Corporate collection - St. Louis, MO
Artist Statement – John Van Alstine
“Many of my works incorporate anvils, either real or cast. The anvil's form, reminiscent of a boat or vessel, carries an inherent suggestion of journey—an idea that has long fascinated me. As a metalworker and “assembler,” I regard the anvil as both a physical and conceptual forge, the place where things come together and where the act of making transforms into art. For me, it holds an almost sacred presence—an altar of creation. In fact, I've titled a number of these works Ara, the Latin word for “altar.”
Throughout my practice, I strive to breathe a sense of life and airiness into materials that are otherwise dense and earthbound—rough granite, industrial-scale steel, and other heavy elements. The anvil, perhaps the ultimate emblem of weight and solidity, becomes especially compelling when lifted into the air. That gesture introduces a dynamic tension, a sense of levitation that animates the work and challenges our expectations of gravity and mass.”
May 2001. Granite, painted steel. Dimensions: 15.5 × 34 × 4 in (39 × 86 × 10 cm).
Private collection -St. Paul, MN
SOLD
July 2001. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 45 × 55 × 29 in (114 × 140 × 74 cm).
Collection - State University of New York, Potsdam
SAGITTA: Latin for arrow
Constellation: A dim but distinctive constellation in the northern sky, representing an arrow and included in the original 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy. It is not to be confused with the larger constellation Sagittarius.
Mythology: The constellation is associated with the arrow of Hercules, the arrow of Apollo, or the arrow of Eros (Cupid).
August 2001. Granite, painted steel. Dimensions: 17 × 27 × 5 in (43 × 69 × 13 cm).
Umberto references the Itailan futurist sculptor Umberto Boccioni
August 2001. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 11 × 21 × 4 in (28 × 53 × 10 cm).
Private collection - South Carolina
August 2001. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 10 × 18 × 4 in (25 × 46 × 10 cm).
Private collection
September 2001. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 13.5 × 22 × 4 in (34 × 56 × 10 cm).
Private collection - CA
Arabesque - dance position where the body is balanced on one leg or toe, the other leg extended.
September 2001. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 8.5 × 12 × 3 in (22 × 30 × 8 cm).
Private collection - Chicago, IL
As a sculptor, I have always been fascinated by tools, implements, and instruments. I see them as extensions of the hand—essential allies in the act of making—and am drawn to their raw, efficient beauty, shaped over time by function and necessity. They also embody human ingenuity, labor, and our impulse to shape and engage the world around us.
Throughout my work, agricultural implements—rakes, plow blades, sledges, and tillers—as well as anvils, scales, compasses, and other instruments become both sculptural forms and vehicles for metaphor, suggesting ideas of balance, navigation, transformation, and our relationship to the natural world.
October 2001. Bronze, granite. Dimensions: 21 × 34 × 14 in (53 × 86 × 36 cm).
Private collection - CA
November 2001. Granite, steel. Dimensions: 24 × 56 × 8 in (61 × 142 × 20 cm).
Cannabalized
December 2001. Bronze, steel. Dimensions: 19 × 36 × 8 in (48 × 91 × 20 cm).
Corporate collection - St. Louis, MO
SOLD
January 2002. Painted granite, steel. Dimensions: 91 × 21 × 15 in (231 × 53 × 38 cm). Private Collection.
SAGITTA: Latin for arrow
Constellation: A dim but distinctive constellation in the northern sky, representing an arrow and included in the original 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy. It is not to be confused with the larger constellation Sagittarius.
Mythology: The constellation is associated with the arrow of Hercules, the arrow of Apollo, or the arrow of Eros (Cupid).
