2020
June 2020. Bronze, slate. Dimensions: 24 × 33 × 10 in (61 × 84 × 25 cm).
Private Collection.
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.
July 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 11.5 × 21 × 6 in (29 × 53 × 15 cm).
During the Covid pandemic, John Van Alstine returned to the Sisyphean myth—a theme he has long used to reflect on the nature of the creative process. In 2020 he produced fourteen new works in the series, responding to a moment when the world confronted both a global health crisis and political movements that openly rejected scientific knowledge.
These sculptures employ the formal vocabulary familiar in Van Alstine’s work—circles, stones, arcs, and inclined planes—evoking the endless effort of pushing the stone uphill. In several works, titles and phrases stamped directly into the bronze add a new expressive dimension, linking the ancient myth to the challenges of the present moment.
For Van Alstine, the Sisyphean series he produced during this period affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to find meaning through perseverance, even in times of uncertainty.
July 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 7.5 × 12 × 5 in (19 × 30 × 13 cm).
During the Covid pandemic, John Van Alstine returned to the Sisyphean myth—a theme he has long used to reflect on the nature of the creative process. In 2020 he produced fourteen new works in the series, responding to a moment when the world confronted both a global health crisis and political movements that openly rejected scientific knowledge.
These sculptures employ the formal vocabulary familiar in Van Alstine’s work—circles, stones, arcs, and inclined planes—evoking the endless effort of pushing the stone uphill. In several works, titles and phrases stamped directly into the bronze add a new expressive dimension, linking the ancient myth to the challenges of the present moment.
For Van Alstine, the series during this period affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to find meaning through perseverance, even in times of uncertainty.
July 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 9 × 11 × 3 in (23 × 28 × 8 cm).
During the Covid pandemic, John Van Alstine returned to the Sisyphean myth—a theme he has long used to reflect on the nature of the creative process. In 2020 he produced fourteen new works in the series, responding to a moment when the world confronted both a global health crisis and political movements that openly rejected scientific knowledge.
These sculptures employ the formal vocabulary familiar in Van Alstine’s work—circles, stones, arcs, and inclined planes—evoking the endless effort of pushing the stone uphill. In several works, titles and phrases stamped directly into the bronze add a new expressive dimension, linking the ancient myth to the challenges of the present moment.
For Van Alstine, the Sisyphean Circle series he produced during this period affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to find meaning through perseverance, even in times of uncertainty.
July 2020. Bronze, green granite. Dimensions: 10 × 14 × 2 in (25 × 36 × 5 cm).
During the Covid pandemic, John Van Alstine returned to the Sisyphean myth—a theme he has long used to reflect on the nature of the creative process. In 2020 he produced fourteen new works in the series, responding to a moment when the world confronted both a global health crisis and political movements that openly rejected scientific knowledge.
These sculptures employ the formal vocabulary familiar in Van Alstine’s work—circles, stones, arcs, and inclined planes—evoking the endless effort of pushing the stone uphill. In several works, titles and phrases stamped directly into the bronze add a new expressive dimension, linking the ancient myth to the challenges of the present moment.
For Van Alstine, the Sisyphean Circle series he produced during this period affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to find meaning through perseverance, even in times of uncertainty.
July 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 6 × 14 × 6 in (15 × 36 × 15 cm).
During the Covid pandemic, John Van Alstine returned to the Sisyphean myth—a theme he has long used to reflect on the nature of the creative process. In 2020 he produced fourteen new works in the series, responding to a moment when the world confronted both a global health crisis and political movements that openly rejected scientific knowledge.
These sculptures employ the formal vocabulary familiar in Van Alstine’s work—circles, stones, arcs, and inclined planes—evoking the endless effort of pushing the stone uphill. In several works, titles and phrases stamped directly into the bronze add a new expressive dimension, linking the ancient myth to the challenges of the present moment.
For Van Alstine, the Sisyphean Circle series he produced during this period affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to find meaning through perseverance, even in times of uncertainty.
July 2020. Bronze, slate. Dimensions: 8 × 11 × 3 in (20 × 28 × 8 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
also: in the sport of Fencing : defined as a running attack with arm extended
August 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 10 × 18 × 8 in (25 × 46 × 20 cm).
In the Greek mythology ‘Labors of Heracles,' King Eurystheus' third task to Heracles was to capture the Ceryneian Hind, often referred to as the ‘golden Hind' because of its golden antlers.
In the Greek Mythology, the Ceryneian Hind was an enormous female deer that was believed to have lived in the region of Keryneia. Based on various Greek tales, the Ceryneian Hind was considered sacred and was associated with the hunt goddess Artemis. A careful review of the Ceryneian Hind reveals that although the mythical creature was female, it had antlers that were male-like moulded from gold while its hooves were bronze. The Ceryneian hind was According to the Greek mythology, the creature had the ability to outdo a flying arrow.
August 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 11 × 22 × 12 in (28 × 56 × 30 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass
It 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.
private collection
August 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 8 × 27 × 14 in (20 × 69 × 36 cm).
Pyxis isa small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass
It is completely visible in latitudes south of 53 degrees northfrom 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.
August 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 12.5 × 19 × 7 in (32 × 48 × 18 cm).
In Greek mythology and Roman mythology , Charon or Kharon is a psychopomp , the ferryman of Hades , often depicted with a long pole, who carries souls of the newly deceased across the river Styx that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead.
A coin to pay Charon for passage, usually an obolus or danake , was sometimes placed in or on the mouth of a dead person. [1] Some authors say that those who could not pay the fee, or those whose bodies were left unburied, had to wander the shores for one hundred years, until they were allowed to cross the river.
SOLD
August 2020. Bronze, stainless steel, granite. Dimensions: 34 × 38 × 8 in (86 × 97 × 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
October 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 2.5 × 10 × 7 in (6 × 25 × 18 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass
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.
October 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 3 × 11 × 4.5 in (8 × 28 × 11 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass
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.
October 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 2.5 × 2 × 7 in (6 × 5 × 18 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass
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.
October 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 7 × 11 × 6 in (18 × 28 × 15 cm).
NOT, is simple straightforward, sarcastic statement created in late October 2020 when we all hoped that the political powers would have provided leadership that would have the pandemic reasonably under control and we would be “OK” ... we were not .
October 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 2.75 × 15 × 7 in (7 × 38 × 18 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass
It 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.
October 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 2.5 × 15 × 5 in (6 × 38 × 13 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass
It 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.
October 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 7 × 17 × 6.5 in (18 × 43 × 17 cm).
Over the years I have created many sculptures that feature openings or portals suggesting entrance or passages into spaces and places, both real and figurative. In the Portal and Passages 2020 Series a vessel form, historically understood as a metaphoric “container or carrier” of an individual, a group, or even society in its entirety, is typically careening through a portal or circular opening. In the context of 2020 it suggests a “passage” from a dark and politically stymied place into a new decade and a brighter more hopeful future.
John VA
SOLD
October 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 8.5 × 13 × 7 in (22 × 33 × 18 cm). Private Collection: US Virgin Islands
Over the years I have created many sculptures that feature openings or portals suggesting entrance or passages into spaces and places, both real and figurative. In the Portal and Passages 2020 Series a vessel form, historically understood as a metaphoric “container or carrier” of an individual, a group, or even society in its entirety, is typically careening through a portal or circular opening. In the context of 2020 it suggests a “passage” from a dark and politically stymied place into a new decade and a brighter more hopeful future.
In a more general sense, this passage suggests a moment of personal transition or breakthrough: moving beyond obstacles and from the known toward the unknown. The portal becomes both a barrier and an opening, while the vessel embodies the energy and determination required to pass through it toward discovery, transformation, and new possibilities.
John Van Alstine
October 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 7.5 × 13 × 7 in (19 × 33 × 18 cm).
Over the years I have created many sculptures that feature openings or portals suggesting entrance or passages into spaces and places, both real and figurative. In the Portal and Passages 2020 Series a vessel form, historically understood as a metaphoric “container or carrier” of an individual, a group, or even society in its entirety, is typically careening through a portal or circular opening. In the context of 2020 it suggests a “passage” from a dark and politically stymied place into a new decade and a brighter more hopeful future.
In a more general sense, this passage suggests a moment of personal transition or breakthrough: moving beyond obstacles and from the known toward the unknown. The portal becomes both a barrier and an opening, while the vessel embodies the energy and determination required to pass through it toward discovery, transformation, and new possibilities.
John Van Alstine
John VA
October 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 9 × 11 × 8 in (23 × 28 × 20 cm).
Over the years I have created many sculptures that feature openings or portals suggesting entrance or passages into spaces and places, both real and figurative. In the Portal and Passages 2020 Series a vessel form, historically understood as a metaphoric “container or carrier” of an individual, a group, or even society in its entirety, is typically careening through a portal or circular opening. In the context of 2020 it suggests a “passage” from a dark and politically stymied place into a new decade and a brighter more hopeful future.
In a more general sense, this passage suggests a moment of personal transition or breakthrough: moving beyond obstacles and from the known toward the unknown. The portal becomes both a barrier and an opening, while the vessel embodies the energy and determination required to pass through it toward discovery, transformation, and new possibilities.
John Van Alstine
November 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 7.5 × 23 × 7 in (19 × 58 × 18 cm).
Over the years I have created many sculptures that feature openings or portals suggesting entrance or passages into spaces and places, both real and figurative. In the Portal and Passages 2020 Series a vessel form, historically understood as a metaphoric “container or carrier” of an individual, a group, or even society in its entirety, is typically careening through a portal or circular opening. In the context of 2020 it suggests a “passage” from a dark and politically stymied place into a new decade and a brighter more hopeful future.
In a more general sense, this passage suggests a moment of personal transition or breakthrough: moving beyond obstacles and from the known toward the unknown. The portal becomes both a barrier and an opening, while the vessel embodies the energy and determination required to pass through it toward discovery, transformation, and new possibilities.
John Van Alstine
November 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 11.5 × 18 × 6 in (29 × 46 × 15 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass. It 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.
November 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 4 × 19 × 8 in (10 × 48 × 20 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass. It 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.
November 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 2 × 13 × 7 in (5 × 33 × 18 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass. It 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.
November 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 3 × 19 × 7 in (8 × 48 × 18 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass. It 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.
November 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 3.5 × 14 × 7 in (9 × 36 × 18 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass. It 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.
November 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 2 × 12 × 5 in (5 × 30 × 13 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass. It 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.
November 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 3 × 15 × 7 in (8 × 38 × 18 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass. It 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.
November 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 3 × 14 × 5 in (8 × 36 × 13 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass. It 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.
November 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 2.5 × 14 × 7 in (6 × 36 × 18 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass. It 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
November 2020. Bronze, slate. Dimensions: 17.5 × 26 × 5.5 in (44 × 66 × 14 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.
December 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 7 × 18 × 8 in (18 × 46 × 20 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.
December 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 3.5 × 13.5 × 8.5 in (9 × 34 × 22 cm).
Pyxis is a small and faint constellation in the southern sky. Its name is Latin for a mariner's compass
It 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
December 2020. Bronze, slate. Dimensions: 25.5 × 26 × 9 in (65 × 66 × 23 cm).
A humpback whale surfaces near the Statue of Liberty in this photo taken from a boat on New York Harbor. (Source: Bjoern Kils via Reuters) In a rare occurrence, a massive humpback whale has been spotted several times this week in the Hudson River near midtown Manhattan.
The whale was caught on camera in front of the Statue of Liberty and other New York landmarks as it paid a visit to the city’s harbour.
December 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 4 × 18.8 × 9 in (10 × 48 × 23 cm).
strainer: A major river hazard in kayaking/canoeing. It is created by a manmade or natural obstruction such as a tree, root system, fencing, or guard rails. To be avoided at all costs.
Like others in the Pyxis Awry series this piece comments on a country adrift, but through its river metaphor subtitle “river jam break”, suggests my positive feeling about the release of the much pent-up energy we witnessed in the recent tumult, and more importantly, the resulting renewed determination for reform, moving us “down river” towards something better.
John VA
December 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 4.5 × 15 × 8 in (11 × 38 × 20 cm).
strainer: A major river hazard in kayaking/canoeing. It is created by a manmade or natural obstruction such as a tree, root system, fencing, or guard rails. To be avoided at all costs.
Like others in the Pyxis Awry series this piece comments on a country adrift, but through its river metaphor subtitle “river jam break”, suggests my positive feeling about the release of the much pent-up energy we witnessed in the recent tumult, and more importantly, the resulting renewed determination for reform, moving us “down river” towards something better.
John VA
December 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 6 × 16 × 10 in (15 × 41 × 25 cm).
Like others in the Pyxis Awry series this piece comments on a country adrift, but through its river metaphor subtitle “river jam break”, suggests my positive feeling about the release of the much pent-up energy we witnessed in the recent tumult, and more importantly, the resulting renewed determination for reform, moving us “down river” towards something better.
John VA
December 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 4.5 × 17 × 7 in (11 × 43 × 18 cm).
Like others in the Pyxis Awry series this piece comments on a country adrift, but through its river metaphor subtitle “river jam break”, suggests my positive feeling about the release of the much pent-up energy we witnessed in the recent tumult, and more importantly, the resulting renewed determination for reform, moving us “down river” towards something better.
John VA
December 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 6.5 × 20 × 10 in (17 × 51 × 25 cm).
Like others in the Pyxis Awry series this piece comments on a country adrift, but through its river metaphor subtitle “river jam break”, suggests my positive feeling about the release of the much pent-up energy we witnessed in the recent tumult, and more importantly, the resulting renewed determination for reform, moving us “down river” towards something better.
John VA
January 2020. Granite, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 123 × 102 × 43 in (312 × 259 × 109 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
February 2020. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 37 × 18 × 6 in (94 × 46 × 15 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.
March 2020. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 11 × 14 × 3 in (28 × 36 × 8 cm).
Schaats - old Dutch work for “skate”.
March 2020. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 10.5 × 16 × 3 in (27 × 41 × 8 cm).
Schaats - old Dutch work for “skate”.
March 2020. Pigmented river stone, steel. Dimensions: 11 × 21 × 5.5 in (28 × 53 × 14 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
March 2020. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 23.5 × 26 × 6 in (60 × 66 × 15 cm).
General Statement – Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
March 2020. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 17 × 27 × 5 in (43 × 69 × 13 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.
March 2020. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 41 × 18 × 8 in (104 × 46 × 20 cm).
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.
April 2020. Bronze, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 8 × 10 × 4 in (20 × 25 × 10 cm).
Over the years I have created many sculptures that feature openings or portals suggesting entrance or passages into spaces and places, both real and figurative. In the Portal and Passages 2020 Series a vessel form, historically understood as a metaphoric “container or carrier” of an individual, a group, or even society in its entirety, is typically careening through a portal or circular opening. In the context of 2020 it suggests a “passage” from a dark and politically stymied place into a new decade and a brighter more hopeful future.
In a more general sense, this passage suggests a moment of personal transition or breakthrough: moving beyond obstacles and from the known toward the unknown. The portal becomes both a barrier and an opening, while the vessel embodies the energy and determination required to pass through it toward discovery, transformation, and new possibilities.
John Van Alstine
April 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 6 × 27 × 4 in (15 × 69 × 10 cm).
Imagine Sisyphus Happy
During the Covid pandemic, John Van Alstine returned to the Sisyphean myth—a theme he has long used to reflect on the nature of the creative process. In 2020 he produced fourteen new works in the series, responding to a moment when the world confronted both a global health crisis and political movements that openly rejected scientific knowledge.
These sculptures employ the formal vocabulary familiar in Van Alstine’s work—circles, stones, arcs, and inclined planes—evoking the endless effort of pushing the stone uphill. In several works, titles and phrases stamped directly into the bronze add a new expressive dimension, linking the ancient myth to the challenges of the present moment.
The title references the famous line by Albert Camus: “One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” For Van Alstine, the phrase affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to find meaning through perseverance, even in times of uncertainty.
April 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 8 × 16 × 6 in (20 × 41 × 15 cm).
During the Covid pandemic, John Van Alstine returned to the Sisyphean myth—a theme he has long used to reflect on the nature of the creative process. In 2020 he produced fourteen new works in the series, responding to a moment when the world confronted both a global health crisis and political movements that openly rejected scientific knowledge.
These sculptures employ the formal vocabulary familiar in Van Alstine’s work—circles, stones, arcs, and inclined planes—evoking the endless effort of pushing the stone uphill. In several works, titles and phrases stamped directly into the bronze add a new expressive dimension, linking the ancient myth to the challenges of the present moment.
For Van Alstine, the Sisyphean Circle series he produced during this period affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to find meaning through perseverance, even in times of uncertainty.
April 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 9 × 29 × 9 in (23 × 74 × 23 cm).
During the Covid pandemic, John Van Alstine returned to the Sisyphean myth—a theme he has long used to reflect on the nature of the creative process. In 2020 he produced fourteen new works in the series, responding to a moment when the world confronted both a global health crisis and political movements that openly rejected scientific knowledge.
These sculptures employ the formal vocabulary familiar in Van Alstine’s work—circles, stones, arcs, and inclined planes—evoking the endless effort of pushing the stone uphill. In several works, titles and phrases stamped directly into the bronze add a new expressive dimension, linking the ancient myth to the challenges of the present moment.
For Van Alstine, the Sisyphean Circle series he produced during this period affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to find meaning through perseverance, even in times of uncertainty.
April 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 9.5 × 29 × 6 in (24 × 74 × 15 cm).
In this series, Van Alstine expands his commentary on the 2020–2021 Covid crisis by incorporating the words of Martin Luther King Jr. into several Sisyphean works, stamping them directly into the bronze. In paraphrasing King’s well-known observation that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” Van Alstine reframes the idea for the present moment, suggesting instead that the arc of Covid bends toward science.
Through these works he reflects his concern that elements within the MAGA movement show a deep disregard for scientific understanding. The sculptures point to what he sees as the troubling absurdity of rejecting science—an attitude that effectively erases the long trajectory of rational thought and the scientific revolution that, over centuries, replaced superstition and myth as the dominant intellectual foundation of Western civilization.
April 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 11 × 33 × 8 in (28 × 84 × 20 cm).
During the Covid pandemic, John Van Alstine returned to the Sisyphean myth—a theme he has long used to reflect on the nature of the creative process. In 2020 he produced fourteen new works in the series, responding to a moment when the world confronted both a global health crisis and political movements that openly rejected scientific knowledge.
These sculptures employ the formal vocabulary familiar in Van Alstine’s work—circles, stones, arcs, and inclined planes—evoking the endless effort of pushing the stone uphill. In several works, titles and phrases stamped directly into the bronze add a new expressive dimension, linking the ancient myth to the challenges of the present moment.
For Van Alstine, the Sisyphean Circle series he produced during this period affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to find meaning through perseverance, even in times of uncertainty.
May 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 9.5 × 20 × 8 in (24 × 51 × 20 cm).
In this series, Van Alstine expands his commentary on the 2020–2021 Covid crisis by incorporating the words of Martin Luther King Jr. into several Sisyphean works, stamping them directly into the bronze. In paraphrasing King’s well-known observation that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” Van Alstine reframes the idea for the present moment, suggesting instead that the arc of Covid bends toward science.
Through these works he reflects his concern that elements within the MAGA movement show a deep disregard for scientific understanding. The sculptures point to what he sees as the troubling absurdity of rejecting science—an attitude that effectively erases the long trajectory of rational thought and the scientific revolution that, over centuries, replaced superstition and myth as the dominant intellectual foundation of Western civilization.
May 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 11.5 × 23 × 9 in (29 × 58 × 23 cm).
The title is an adaptation and homage to the quote often credited to Martin Luther King "Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bents toward justice".
In this series, Van Alstine expands his commentary on the 2020–2021 Covid crisis by incorporating the words of Martin Luther King Jr. into several Sisyphean works, stamping them directly into the bronze. In paraphrasing King’s well-known observation that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” Van Alstine reframes the idea for the present moment, suggesting instead that the arc of Covid bends toward science.
Through these works he reflects his concern that elements within the MAGA movement show a deep disregard for scientific understanding. The sculptures point to what he sees as the troubling absurdity of rejecting science—an attitude that effectively erases the long trajectory of rational thought and the scientific revolution that, over centuries, replaced superstition and myth as the dominant intellectual foundation of Western civilization.
May 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 10 × 22 × 8 in (25 × 56 × 20 cm).
In this series, Van Alstine expands his commentary on the 2020–2021 Covid crisis by incorporating the words of Martin Luther King Jr. into several Sisyphean works, stamping them directly into the bronze. In paraphrasing King’s well-known observation that -
“the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,”
Van Alstine reframes the idea for the present moment, suggesting instead that the arc of Covid bends toward science.
Through these works he reflects his concern that elements within the MAGA movement show a deep disregard for scientific understanding. The sculptures point to what he sees as the troubling absurdity of rejecting science—an attitude that effectively erases the long trajectory of rational thought and the scientific revolution that, over centuries, replaced superstition and myth as the dominant intellectual foundation of Western civilization.
May 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 12 × 10 × 3.5 in (30 × 25 × 9 cm).
The title, derived from two Latin words—fūnis meaning rope and ambulāre to walk— refers to a "tight rope walker," a meaning reinforced by the dynamic, horizontal "balanced baton" and the sculpture’s overall poise. It suggests great physical balance, agility, and daring, suggesting for some a circus performer. But perhaps more poignantly, the term funambulist also refers to mental agility.
May 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 9.5 × 20 × 6 in (24 × 51 × 15 cm).
During the Covid pandemic, John Van Alstine returned to the Sisyphean myth—a theme he has long used to reflect on the nature of the creative process. In 2020 he produced fourteen new works in the series, responding to a moment when the world confronted both a global health crisis and political movements that openly rejected scientific knowledge.
These sculptures employ the formal vocabulary familiar in Van Alstine’s work—circles, stones, arcs, and inclined planes—evoking the endless effort of pushing the stone uphill. In several works, titles and phrases stamped directly into the bronze add a new expressive dimension, linking the ancient myth to the challenges of the present moment.
The title references the famous line by Albert Camus: “One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” For Van Alstine, the phrase affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to find meaning through perseverance, even in times of uncertainty.
May 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 10.5 × 14 × 4 in (27 × 36 × 10 cm). Private Collection.
The title, derived from two Latin words—fūnis meaning rope and ambulāre to walk—refers to a "tight rope walker," a meaning reinforced by the dynamic, horizontal "balanced baton" and the sculpture’s overall poise. It suggests great physical balance, agility, and daring, suggesting for some a circus performer. But perhaps more poignantly, the term funambulist also refers to mental agility.
May 2020. Bronze, slate. Dimensions: 14.5 × 19 × 6 in (37 × 48 × 15 cm).
During the Covid pandemic, John Van Alstine returned to the Sisyphean myth—a theme he has long used to reflect on the nature of the creative process. In 2020 he produced fourteen new works in the series, responding to a moment when the world confronted both a global health crisis and political movements that openly rejected scientific knowledge.
These sculptures employ the formal vocabulary familiar in Van Alstine’s work—circles, stones, arcs, and inclined planes—evoking the endless effort of pushing the stone uphill. In several works, titles and phrases stamped directly into the bronze add a new expressive dimension, linking the ancient myth to the challenges of the present moment.
For Van Alstine, the Sisyphean Circle series he produced during this period affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to find meaning through perseverance, even in times of uncertainty.
May 2020. Bronze, river stone. Dimensions: 25 × 19 × 9 in (64 × 48 × 23 cm).
JUGGLER SERIES
Many of my works take inspiration from the movement of the human body. This work is in some ways a self-portrait suggesting how I work in the studio - literally juggling individual elements of each sculpture until that are in the perfect position and then are frozen in time and space by the act of welding.
Juggling can also be seen more universally in that we are all jugglers of a kind, something that in 2020 more than everpainfully confronts us as westruggle to keepour responsibilities and activities such as family, work, play etc., all up, balanced and hopefully in control.
The anvil which appears in a number of my works not only represents the quintessential heavy object presenting the greatest challenges to “juggle”, but is also a symbol of the act of “assembly” where forging object, material and ideas together is central to the meaning of the all my work.
John Van Alstine
June 2020. Bronze, slate. Dimensions: 13 × 17 × 5 in (33 × 43 × 13 cm).
During the Covid pandemic, John Van Alstine returned to the Sisyphean myth—a theme he has long used to reflect on the nature of the creative process. In 2020 he produced fourteen new works in the series, responding to a moment when the world confronted both a global health crisis and political movements that openly rejected scientific knowledge.
These sculptures employ the formal vocabulary familiar in Van Alstine’s work—circles, stones, arcs, and inclined planes—evoking the endless effort of pushing the stone uphill. In several works, titles and phrases stamped directly into the bronze add a new expressive dimension, linking the ancient myth to the challenges of the present moment.
The title references the famous line by Albert Camus: “One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” For Van Alstine, the phrase affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to find meaning through perseverance, even in times of uncertainty.
June 2020. Bronze. Dimensions: 21 × 16 × 7 in (53 × 41 × 18 cm). (Cannibalized by artist)
Pronunciation: fu·nam·bu·list -list
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin funambulus ropewalker, from funis rope + ambulare to walk
Date: 1824
1 : tightrope walking
2 : a show especially of mental agility
June 2020. Bronze, slate. Dimensions: 11 × 16 × 5 in (28 × 41 × 13 cm).
During the Covid pandemic, John Van Alstine returned to the Sisyphean myth—a theme he has long used to reflect on the nature of the creative process. In 2020 he produced fourteen new works in the series, responding to a moment when the world confronted both a global health crisis and political movements that openly rejected scientific knowledge.
These sculptures employ the formal vocabulary familiar in Van Alstine’s work—circles, stones, arcs, and inclined planes—evoking the endless effort of pushing the stone uphill. In several works, titles and phrases stamped directly into the bronze add a new expressive dimension, linking the ancient myth to the challenges of the present moment.
The title references the famous line by Albert Camus: “One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” For Van Alstine, the phrase affirms the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity to find meaning through perseverance, even in times of uncertainty.
2019
February 2019. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 13 × 20 × 4 in (33 × 51 × 10 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
February 2019. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 7 × 10 × 5 in (18 × 25 × 13 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 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
February 2019. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 7"h x10"w x6"d .
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
March 2019. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 22.5 × 20 × 5 in (57 × 51 × 13 cm).
B’more Auger
The title “B’more” references Baltimore, where the auger element was sourced, and reflects the way many locals pronounce the city’s name. The sculpture acknowledges both the object’s geographic origin and the vernacular character of the place from which it came.
Like many of Van Alstine’s works, it incorporates repurposed industrial material, transforming a utilitarian tool into a sculptural form where function gives way to rhythm, balance, and visual tension.
March 2019. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 7.5 × 14 × 3 in (19 × 36 × 8 cm).
This piece was used as the model and concept for the large scale piece in the Wuhu Sculpture Park, in China .
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.
April 2019. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 20 × 20 × 2 in (51 × 51 × 5 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
May 2019
Slate, pigmented and sealed steel
17 × 22 × 8 in. (43 × 56 × 20 cm)
The title Barani comes from the gymnastic term for a half-twisting front somersault. Here, the arrangement of stone and steel suggests a body caught in mid-rotation, suspended between ascent and descent. The sculpture captures a fleeting moment when gravity, momentum, and balance exist in perfect equilibrium.
Like many of John Van Alstine's sculptures, Barani III explores the tension between stability and motion. The weight of the slate is countered by the lightness and sweep of the fabricated steel, creating a composition that appears both grounded and airborne. Rather than depicting a literal figure, the work evokes the grace, risk, and exhilaration of movement itself.
May 2019. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 18 × 17 × 5 in (46 × 43 × 13 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 guide boat 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
June 2019. Granite, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 91 × 88 × 28 in (231 × 224 × 71 cm).
Coppewebbe is a Middle English term for "spider web" that is closely related to Middle Dutch and Old English roots. It derives from coppe (spider) and webbe (web), with coppe having cognates in Middle Dutch (koppe).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
September 2019. Granite, galvanized and powder-coated. Dimensions: 80 × 70 × 16 in (203 × 178 × 41 cm).
SISYPHEAN CIRCLE (Homage to Major Taylor), 2019
Granite, galvanized and powder-coated steel, 80"h x 70"w x 16"d (203 x 178 x 40 cm)
In the Sisyphean Circle series, the interplay of stone and steel suggests a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone, echoing the myth of Sisyphus and the creative struggle to overcome obstacles.
This work specifically honors Marshall “Major” Taylor (1878–1932), a world champion American cyclist and one of the nation’s first Black sports superstars. The leaning granite and circular forms evoke a cyclist in motion, symbolizing Taylor’s perseverance in the face of racial prejudice both on and off the track.
Taylor’s Sisyphean efforts made him a pioneering role model for future athletes confronting discrimination, celebrated as a hero in the United States, France, and Australia. As he wrote in his autobiography, having no other African Americans to guide him, he “had to blaze [his] own trail.”
—John Van Alstine
SOLD
July 2019. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 9 × 14 × 3.5 in (23 × 36 × 9 cm). Private Collection,
Catapulta 3-19
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.
August 2019. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 15 × 24 × 4.5 in (38 × 61 × 11 cm).
Aequalis
The title derives from the Latin aequalis, meaning “equal.” Commissioned as a wedding gift, the sculpture evokes the striving for balance and equality within a marriage, celebrating partnership, shared effort, and mutual support through its dynamic interplay of forms.
September 2019. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 17 × 26 × 5 in (43 × 66 × 13 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
October 2019
Slate, galvanized and powder-coated steel
30.5 × 42 × 7 in. (77 × 107 × 18 cm)
Sisyphean Circle (Tefillin) draws its title from the small black steel element that anchors the circular form to the base, recalling the Hebrew tefillin (phylacteries)—small leather boxes containing passages from the Torah that are traditionally bound to the arm and forehead during prayer as symbols of faith, remembrance, and devotion. Here, the stone becomes both burden and sacred object, suggesting that the weight we carry can also be a source of purpose and spiritual meaning.
Like other works in the Sisyphean Circle series, the sculpture suggests a figure engaged in the timeless act of lifting or guiding a stone. Inspired by Albert Camus' reinterpretation of the Sisyphus myth, the work embraces the creative process as an act of perseverance and affirmation. Rather than dwelling on endless labor, it celebrates the journey itself, reminding us that meaning is found not in reaching the summit, but in the continual act of striving.
— John Van Alstine
October 2019. Slate, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 44 × 26 × 7 in (112 × 66 × 18 cm).
Private Collection.
Kyklos ( Ancient Greek : κÏκλος , IPA: [kýklos] , "cycle"
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.
2018
March 2018. Vermont slate, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 55 × 25 × 15 in (140 × 64 × 38 cm).
The “Bongo” series references the popular “bongo board” phenomena of the 50’s and 60’s, something I became quite familiar with during my early days training for alpine ski racing.
Inspired by children of the African Gold Coast skillfully balancing on a wood plank and log, WWII pilot Stanley Washburn Jr returned home to make a version for a Christmas gift to his daughter and in 1952 the first Bongo Board was born. The sculpture’s title combined with its dramatic and precarious “swivel” of elements animates the stone and steel, conjuring a figure actively and feverishly keeping balance.
March 2018. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 45 × 18 × 19 in (114 × 46 × 48 cm).
Private Collection.
Stone has been a constant in John Van Alstine’s work for more than fifty 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.
March 2018. Granite, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 59 × 34 × 15 in (150 × 86 × 38 cm).
The “Bongo” series references the popular “bongo board” phenomena of the 50’s and 60’s, something I became quite familiar with during my early days training for alpine ski racing.
Inspired by children of the African Gold Coast skillfully balancing on a wood plank and log, WWII pilot Stanley Washburn Jr returned home to make a version for a Christmas gift to his daughter and in 1952 the first Bongo Board was born. The sculpture’s title combined with its dramatic and precarious “swivel” of elements animates the stone and steel, conjuring a figure actively and feverishly keeping balance.
SOLD
March 2018. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 20.5 × 29 × 7 in (52 × 74 × 18 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).
March 2018
Slate, pigmented and sealed steel
24 × 32 × 7 in. (61 × 81 × 18 cm)
The title Sagitta, Latin for arrow, refers both to the ancient constellation and to one of humanity's oldest and most enduring tools. First recorded by the astronomer Ptolemy, the constellation has long been associated with the arrows of Hercules, Apollo, and Eros—symbols of strength, purpose, and transformation. In Sagitta (Turned Tip), the arrow is reimagined as an abstract dialogue between stone and steel.
The turned tip introduces a subtle tension, suggesting that even the most direct path may be altered by circumstance or intention. Rather than depicting a weapon, the sculpture evokes the arrow as a symbol of direction, aspiration, and the continual search for meaning. As in much of John Van Alstine's work, the interplay of weight and movement transforms a familiar form into a meditation on balance, journey, and possibility.
June 2018. Oil enamel on granite, galvanized and powder-coated steel. Dimensions: 146 × 60 × 36 in (371 × 152 × 91 cm).
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.”
July 2018. Granite, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 12 × 6 × 4 in (30 × 15 × 10 cm).
A reamer is a type of rotary cutting tool used in metalworking.
July 2018. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 161 × 61 × 32 in (409 × 155 × 81 cm).
The title playfully references Wile E., almost certainly evoking Wile E. Coyote, the Looney Tunes cartoon character known for his ceaseless and often futile pursuits—most famously trying to catch the Road Runner. While there isn’t a formal artist statement widely published online about this specific title, the invoked humor and implied struggle echo themes in Van Alstine’s broader work: energy poised in arrested motion, tension between weight and balance, and a sense of effort caught in mid-action.
September 2018. River stone, aluminum, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 113 × 75 × 30 in (287 × 191 × 76 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
December 2018. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 21.5 × 27 × 6 in (55 × 69 × 15 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
December 2018. Granite, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 11 × 17 × 3.5 in (28 × 43 × 9 cm).
Tools and Implements in Van Alstine’s Work
As a sculptor, I have always been fascinated by tools, implements, and instruments. I see them as extensions of the artist’s hand—essential allies in the act of making. I am also drawn to their raw, efficient beauty, forms shaped by function.
While many artists—from David Smith and Jim Dine to Pablo Picasso—have explored this territory, I bring my own perspective, informed by decades of experience, to reinterpret these forms in ways unique to my practice.
John Van Alstine
November 2018. Slate, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 45 × 54 × 12 in (114 × 137 × 30 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
2017
January 2017. Pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 14 × 19 × 4 in (36 × 48 × 10 cm).
Scale model presented Mohawk Valley Gateway Overlook (MVGO) Amsterdam, New York 2016-17. Private Collection.
My proposals centered on the importance of the Mohawk River Valley as a migration and transportation artery and included vessel-like forms, portals and gateways to convey these concepts. I focused on how Native American paths, colonial trails, and later the canal, railroads, and highways shaped the multicultural fabric of the city, Van Alstine explains.
The native Mohawk people named the river Tenonanatche, meaning "a river flowing through (or around) mountains.” It was, and continues to be, an important travel and transportation route, one of the only natural northern “flat land” passages from the Atlantic through the Appalachian ridge to lands west. Van Alstine’s proposals included vessel-like forms, portals and gateways to convey these concepts.
March 2017. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 15 × 18 × 4.5 in (38 × 46 × 11 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
March 2017. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 8 × 15 × 7 in (20 × 38 × 18 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.
April 2017. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 11 × 29 × 4.5 in (28 × 74 × 11 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
April 2017. Pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 10 × 15 × 8 in (25 × 38 × 20 cm). Private Collection.
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 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 2017. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 10.5 × 14 × 3.5 in (27 × 36 × 9 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
SOLD
June 2017. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 19 × 44 × 7 in (48 × 112 × 18 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.
June 2017. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 9 × 15 × 3.5 in (23 × 38 × 9 cm).
Schaats - old Dutch for skate
July 2017. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 25 × 16 × 6 in (64 × 41 × 15 cm).
The title, derived from two Latin words—fūnis meaning rope and ambulāre to walk— refers to a "tight rope walker," a meaning reinforced by the dynamic, horizontal "balanced baton" and the sculpture’s overall poise. It suggests great physical balance, agility, and daring, suggesting for some a circus performer. But perhaps more poignantly, the term funambulist also refers to mental agility.
July 2017. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 13 × 18 × 3.5 in (33 × 46 × 9 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.
July 2017. Slate, bronze, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 6.5 × 13 × 3 in (17 × 33 × 8 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
July 2017. Slate, bronze, lacquered steel. Dimensions: 7.5 × 16 × 3 in (19 × 41 × 8 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
July 2017. Slate, bronze, lacquered steel. Dimensions: 6.5 × 12.5 × 3 in (17 × 32 × 8 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
July 2017. Slate, bronze, lacquered steel. Dimensions: 5 × 14 × 3 in (13 × 36 × 8 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
July 2017. Slate, bronze, lacquered steel. Dimensions: 7 × 12 × 3 in (18 × 30 × 8 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
July 2017. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 7 × 15 × 3 in (18 × 38 × 8 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.
August 2017. Slate, bronze, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 15 × 22 × 5 in (38 × 56 × 13 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
August 2017. Granite, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 49 × 53 × 16 in (124 × 135 × 41 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
August 2017. Fieldstone, bronze, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 15 × 19 × 4 in (38 × 48 × 10 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
August 2017. Slate, bronze, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 13.5 × 21 × 3.5 in (34 × 53 × 9 cm).
Title refers to the adage of recommended technique of “swim diagonally with the current toward shore” when caught in a river current and attempting to get to safe ground.
August 2017. Late, bronze, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 13.5 × 21 × 3.5 in (34 × 53 × 9 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
SOLD
August 2017. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 21 × 25 × 6 in (53 × 64 × 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.
November 2017. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 20 × 19 × 8 in (51 × 48 × 20 cm). Private Collection.
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 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
November 2017. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 9 × 14 × 4 in (23 × 36 × 10 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
November 2017. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 4.5 × 16 × 8 in (11 × 41 × 20 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.
November 2017. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 4.5 × 8 × 6 in (11 × 20 × 15 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.
November 2017. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 16.5 × 29 × 5 in (42 × 74 × 13 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.
December 2017. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 8.5 × 8 × 6 in (22 × 20 × 15 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.
2016
February 2016. Enamel on stone, steel. Dimensions: 15 × 17 × 4 in (38 × 43 × 10 cm).
acciaccato (It.). Musical term - the sounding of the notes of a chord not quite simultaneously, but from bottom to top. Ascending.
February 2016. Enamel on stone, steel. Dimensions: 22 × 24 × 6 in (56 × 61 × 15 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
February 2016. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 10 × 18 × 4 in (25 × 46 × 10 cm).
acciaccato (It.). Musical term - the sounding of the notes of a chord not quite simultaneously, but from bottom to top. Ascending.
March 2016. Granite, bronze, steel. Dimensions: 8 × 18.5 × 3.5 in (20 × 47 × 9 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
May 2012. Pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 9 × 15 × 3.5 in (23 × 38 × 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.
July 2016. Granite, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 62 × 64 × 18 in (157 × 163 × 46 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
September 2016. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 22.5 × 23 × 6 in (57 × 58 × 15 cm).
POINTE falls in the ‘figurative camp” of my work and refers to Pointe technique of classical ballet, in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet within pointe shoes.
As in most of my work, I try to lift and “choreograph” the earth-bound elements of stone and steel to make them dance. It is my hope that once the viewer is aware of the title’s meaning, it will more clearly frame this abstract work and provide insight and understanding into my intent.
Granite and galvanized and powder-coated steel, 33”h x 40”w x9”d
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
September 2016. Slate, pigmentated and sealed steel. Dimensions: 20 × 17 × 6 in (51 × 43 × 15 cm).
Title references the main steel element and the obvious “shearing” involved in its formation.
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
SOLD
September 2016. Granite, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 62 × 74 × 20 in (157 × 188 × 51 cm).
Collection: Chautauqua Institute - permanently installed on campus 2017
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
October 2016. Slate, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 40 × 46 × 10 in (102 × 117 × 25 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).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
October 2016. Slate, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 41 × 42 × 10 in (104 × 107 × 25 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
November 2016. Granite, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 65 × 64 × 16 in (165 × 163 × 41 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
December 2016. Vermont slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 17 × 36 × 6 in (43 × 91 × 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.
2015
February 2015. River stone, powder coated steel. Dimensions: 77 × 76 × 50 in (196 × 193 × 127 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
February 2015. River stone, powder coated steel. Dimensions: 73 × 64 × 24 in (185 × 163 × 61 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
June 2015. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 16.5 × 29 × 7 in (42 × 74 × 18 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
June 2015. Granite, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 11 × 18 × 4.5 in (28 × 46 × 11 cm).
Beam references a “balance beam” scale. This is also a good example for the use of tools in my work.
July 2015
Vermont slate, pigmented and sealed steel
23 × 41 × 6 in. (58 × 104 × 15 cm)
Storm Warning V (Red Rain 3.14) grew from John Van Alstine's experiences in the vast landscapes of Wyoming, where towering storm clouds and sweeping curtains of rain could be seen moving across the open sky, sometimes evaporating before reaching the ground. Here, a heavy slate form becomes an ominous storm cloud while strands of red steel suggest rain suspended between earth and sky.
The sculpture embraces the visual irony found throughout Van Alstine's work: the earthbound stone appears to float while the "falling" rain simultaneously supports it. The red rain alludes to the environmental threat of acid rain in the Adirondacks, while the subtitle 3.14 refers to the steel element's resemblance to the mathematical symbol π, expressing the artist's belief that science, understanding, and human ingenuity can help solve the environmental challenges we create.
September 2015. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 16.5 × 21.5 × 4 in (42 × 55 × 10 cm).
Auger Falls is the inspiration for this work. A serious set of rapids channeled through a narrow flume in the town of Wells, NY in the southern Adirondacks where I live and work. It takes its name (misspelled as ‘Auger’) from its long and auguring appearance. It has a large and dominate stone near the top.
September 2015. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 27 × 12 × 5 in (69 × 30 × 13 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.
September 2015. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 18 × 22 × 6 in (46 × 56 × 15 cm).
acciaccato (It.). Musical term - the sounding of the notes of a chord not quite simultaneously, but from bottom to top. Ascending.
September 2015. Slate, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 65 × 64 × 16 in (165 × 163 × 41 cm).
Collection: US State Department - Art in Embassy Program. Permanently installed US Consult, Casablanca, Morocco
September 2015. Slate, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 58 × 57 × 12 in (147 × 145 × 30 cm).
October 2015. Slate, galvanized and powder coated steel. Dimensions: 58 × 75 × 12 in (147 × 191 × 30 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
October 2016. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 23.5 × 18 × 4 in (60 × 46 × 10 cm).
In dance, "piqué" (pronounced pee-KAY) means "to prick," and describes a step where a dancer steps directly onto the pointe or ball of the foot. The term is most famously used for the piqué turn, a traveling turning step that involves stepping onto one leg en pointe while the other leg is in the air, usually in a passé position (drawn up to the knee).
October 2016. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 15 × 22 × 7 in (38 × 56 × 18 cm). Private Collection.
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 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
December 2015. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 21 × 21 × 7 in (53 × 53 × 18 cm).
Sisyphean Circle Series
The formal arrangements of stone and steel in the Sisyphean Circle series often suggest a figure frozen in the act of prying or pushing a stone. Yet to view the creative process simply as endless toil is undeniably negative. I prefer to approach the myth and metaphor through the lens of Albert Camus.
As in life, this perspective lies at the core of the creative process, where the act of making ultimately triumphs over the object or final product. The focus shifts from the burden of creation to the meaning found in the effort itself—celebrating the process as the true reward rather than the finished sculpture.
—John Van Alstine
2014
January 2014. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 14.5 × 19 × 5 in (37 × 48 × 13 cm).
SHAATS -old Dutch for skate.
February 2014. Vermont slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 51 × 27 × 10 in (130 × 69 × 25 cm).
Kyklos (κύκλος) is an Ancient Greek term meaning "circle," "wheel," or "cycle," symbolizing continuity, wholeness, and the recurring nature of things. It refers to circular formations, political cycles, and in modern contexts, it describes the Cyclades islands, design patterns, and philosophical concepts of unity.
March 2014. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 24 × 14 × 6 in (61 × 36 × 15 cm).
The title, derived from two Latin words—fūnis meaning rope and ambulāre to walk— refers to a "tight rope walker," a meaning reinforced by the dynamic, horizontal "balanced baton" and the sculpture’s overall poise. It suggests great physical balance, agility, and daring, suggesting for some a circus performer. But perhaps more poignantly, the term funambulist also refers to mental agility.
SOLD
May 2014. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 11 × 12 × 3 in (28 × 30 × 8 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
August 2014. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 26 × 33 × 10 in (66 × 84 × 25 cm). Private Collection, Sausalito, CA.
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.
SOLD
September 2014. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 20.5 × 44 × 9 in (52 × 112 × 23 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.
November 2014. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 25 × 34 × 9 in (64 × 86 × 23 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 2014. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 27 × 29 × 9 in (69 × 74 × 23 cm).
Private Collection - Saudi Arriba.
The title, derived from two Latin words—fūnis meaning rope and ambulāre to walk—refers to a "tight rope walker," a meaning reinforced by the dynamic, horizontal "balanced baton" and the sculpture’s overall poise. It suggests great physical balance, agility, and daring, suggesting for some a circus performer. But perhaps more poignantly, the term funambulist also refers to mental agility.
SOLD
November 2014. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 6.5 × 21 × 3.5 in (17 × 53 × 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.
2013
March 2013. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 17.5 × 44 × 7 in (44 × 112 × 18 cm).
A meteoroid fell to Earth on February 15, 2013 streaking some 20 to 30 kilometers above the city of Chelyabinsk , Russia at 9:20am local time. Initially traveling at about 20 kilometers per second , its explosive deceleration after impact with the lower atmosphere created a flash brighter than the Sun. An estimated 500 kilotons of energy was released by the explosion of the 17 meter wide space rock with a mass of 7,000 to 10,000 tons. Actually expected to occur on average once every 100 years, the magnitude of the Chelyabinsk event is the largest known since the Tunguska impact in 1908 .
June 2013. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 47 × 24 × 8 in (119 × 61 × 20 cm).
PIQUE
In dance, "piqué" (pronounced pee-KAY) means "to prick," and describes a step where a dancer steps directly onto the pointe or ball of the foot. The term is most famously used for the piqué turn, a traveling turning step that involves stepping onto one leg en pointe while the other leg is in the air, usually in a passé position (drawn up to the knee).
June 2013. Granite, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 11 × 18 × 5.5 in (28 × 46 × 14 cm).
noun: aureola
a circle of light or brightness surrounding something, especially as depicted in art around the head or body of a person represented as holy.
June 2013. Granite, pigmented and sealed ateel. Dimensions: 14 × 21 × 4.5 in (36 × 53 × 11 cm).
noun: aureola
a circle of light or brightness surrounding something, especially as depicted in art around the head or body of a person represented as holy.
June 2013. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 13 × 14 × 3.5 in (33 × 36 × 9 cm).
The title, derived from two Latin words—fūnis meaning rope and ambulāre to walk— refers to a "tight rope walker," a meaning reinforced by the dynamic, horizontal "balanced baton" and the sculpture’s overall poise. It suggests great physical balance, agility, and daring, suggesting for some a circus performer. But perhaps more poignantly, the term funambulist also refers to mental agility.
June 2013. Pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 10 × 10 × 4 in (25 × 25 × 10 cm). Private Collection
The title, derived from two Latin words—fūnis meaning rope and ambulāre to walk—refers to a "tight rope walker," a meaning reinforced by the dynamic, horizontal "balanced baton" and the sculpture’s overall poise. It suggests great physical balance, agility, and daring, suggesting for some a circus performer. But perhaps more poignantly, the term funambulist also refers to mental agility.
June 2013. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 9.5 × 21 × 7 in (24 × 53 × 18 cm).
Auger Falls is the inspiration for this work. A serious set of rapids channeled through a narrow flume in the town of Wells, NY in the southern Adirondacks where I live and work. It takes its name (misspelled as ‘Auger’) from its long and auguring appearance. It has a large and dominate stone near the top.
June 2013. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 12.5 × 20 × 4.5 in (32 × 51 × 11 cm).
Auger Falls is the inspiration for this work. A serious set of rapids channeled through a narrow flume in the town of Wells, NY in the southern Adirondacks where I live and work. It takes its name (misspelled as ‘Auger’) from its long and auguring appearance. It has a large and dominate stone near the top.
July 2013. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 15 × 15 × 4 in (38 × 38 × 10 cm).
The title, derived from two Latin words—fūnis meaning rope and ambulāre to walk— refers to a "tight rope walker," a meaning reinforced by the dynamic, horizontal "balanced baton" and the sculpture’s overall poise. It suggests great physical balance, agility, and daring, suggesting for some a circus performer. But perhaps more poignantly, the term funambulist also refers to mental agility.
July 2013. Stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 16.5 × 11 × 5 in (42 × 28 × 13 cm).
The name Corona finds its origins in the Spanish language and carries the meaning of crown.
2012
March 2012. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 26.5 × 19 × 10 in (67 × 48 × 25 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.
SOLD
June 2012. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 22.5 × 18 × 4.5 in (57 × 46 × 11 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).
December 2012. Slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 57 × 23 × 14 in (145 × 58 × 36 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.
2011
February 2011. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 11 × 8 × 4.5 in (28 × 20 × 11 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.
February 2011. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 19 × 11 × 5 in (48 × 28 × 13 cm).
The title, derived from two Latin words—fūnis meaning rope and ambulāre to walk— refers to a "tight rope walker," a meaning reinforced by the dynamic, horizontal "balanced baton" and the sculpture’s overall poise. It suggests great physical balance, agility, and daring, suggesting for some a circus performer. But perhaps more poignantly, the term funambulist also refers to mental agility.
SOLD
April 2011. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 14 × 15 × 3 in (36 × 38 × 8 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.
April 2011. River stone, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions:
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.
April 2011. Steel. Dimensions: 28 × 12 × 12 in (71 × 30 × 30 cm).
One of several model (ideas) for Saratoga Springs, NY September 11 memorial project.
April 2011. Steel. Dimensions: 26 × 15 × 13 in (66 × 38 × 33 cm).
One of several model (ideas) for Saratoga Springs, NY September 11 memorial project.
April 2011. Steel. Dimensions: 29 × 13 × 7 in (74 × 33 × 18 cm).
One of several model (ideas) for Saratoga Springs, NY September 11 memorial project.
April 2011. Steel. Dimensions: 25 × 15 × 9 in (64 × 38 × 23 cm).
One of several model (ideas) for Saratoga Springs, NY September 11 memorial project.
April 2011. Steel. Dimensions: 28 × 20 × 12 in (71 × 51 × 30 cm).
One of several model (ideas) for Saratoga Springs, NY September 11 memorial project.
April 2011. Steel, pigment. Dimensions: 25.5 × 18 × 10 in (65 × 46 × 25 cm).
One of several model (ideas) for Saratoga Springs, NY September 11 memorial project.
April 2011. Steel. Dimensions: 26 × 17 × 5 in (66 × 43 × 13 cm).
One of several model (ideas) for Saratoga Springs, NY September 11 memorial project.
April 2011. Steel, pigment. Dimensions: 48 × 30 × 14 in (122 × 76 × 36 cm).
One of several model (ideas) for Saratoga Springs, NY September 11 memorial project.
April 2011. Steel, pigment. Dimensions: 32 × 15 × 7 in (81 × 38 × 18 cm).
One of several model (ideas) for Saratoga Springs, NY September 11 memorial project.
April 2011. Steel, pigment. Dimensions: 28 × 15 × 7 in (71 × 38 × 18 cm).
One of several model (ideas) for Saratoga Springs, NY September 11 memorial project.
May 2011. Steel, pigment. Dimensions: 29 × 16 × 9 in (74 × 41 × 23 cm).
One of several model (ideas) for Saratoga Springs, NY September 11 memorial project.
May 2011. Steel, pigment. Dimensions: 28 × 15 × 9 in (71 × 38 × 23 cm).
One of several models (ideas) for Saratoga Springs, NY September 11 memorial project.
May 2011. Steel, pigment. Dimensions: 48 × 29 × 15 in (122 × 74 × 38 cm).
One of several model (ideas) for project.
May 2011. Pigmented steel. Dimensions: 31 × 15 × 8 in (79 × 38 × 20 cm).
One of several model (ideas) for project.
October 2011. NY State slate, pigmented and sealed steel. Dimensions: 102 × 39 × 31 in (259 × 99 × 79 cm).
Never compleated
April 2011. River stone, pigmented steel. Dimensions: 12 × 20 × 4 in (30 × 51 × 10 cm).
The title, derived from two Latin words—fūnis meaning rope and ambulāre to walk— refers to a "tight rope walker," a meaning reinforced by the dynamic, horizontal "balanced baton" and the sculpture’s overall poise. It suggests great physical balance, agility, and daring, suggesting for some a circus performer. But perhaps more poignantly, the term funambulist also refers to mental agility.
