1999 — First monograph
Bones of the Earth
Spirit of the Land
A splendid survey spanning the first 25 years of John Van Alstine's career, tracing the rapid development of his work centered around his unique combination of stone and metal.
Interview — Glenn Harper & John Van Alstine
Glenn Harper, editor of Sculpture Magazine, sat down with John Van Alstine for an extended conversation about stone, metal, landscape, mythology, tools, and the creative process. Originally published in Sculpture Magazine and included in this volume, it remains one of the most revealing portraits of Van Alstine's practice and thinking.
Glenn Harper — Your work seems to start with stone, even though you have most often used it in conjunction with metal.
Stone is central to my work, although I do most of the hands-on work with the metal. The duality of an eastern acceptance of stone and a 20th century industrial American "can do" attitude toward metal is at the core of my work and is, I believe, one of the important things that distinguishes it.
GH — The relation of your work to landscape seems to have a lot to do with the tension of human effort in the landscape, rather than a "pure" landscape.
I am not interested in landscape as an illusion. I relate to what is done in or to the field, but I am even more interested in the tools and implements used and their functional and conceptual relationship to the landscape.
GH — Your work has an epic quality — suggesting the sweep of human history, a larger language or scope.
In my mind significant sculpture strives to reveal universals, rather than being navel-oriented. I'm interested in making statements or raising questions that generate discussions on broad, universal topics, uncovering truths that resonate and echo. I see my work, when it is at its best, as a lens that can help provide focus to a "big picture".
Full interview — Glenn Harper & John Van AlstineSculpture Magazine · Published in Bones of the Earth, Spirit of the Land
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Sarah Tanguy
Critic and independent curator, Washington, DC
In tandem with the evolving visual poetry of John Van Alstine, Nicholas Capasso conjures Van Alstine's love of stone as material for the hand and the imagination. From his early stone sculptures to his more recent works and public commissions, the essay chronicles the artist's exploration of the landscape and its seminal role as both stage and actor. Glenn Harper's insightful and complementary interview focuses on Van Alstine's changing approach to style, imagery, and composition. From these texts and the accompanying photographs, the reader gains a new appreciation of the artist's craft and his ability to exploit the dynamic and associative qualities of his work.
Edward Brohel
Director, Plattsburgh Museum of Art, SUNY Plattsburgh
Bones of the Earth, Spirit of the Land is a splendid survey covering the past twenty years of the sculpture, drawings and photographs of John Van Alstine. I have been a strong admirer of Mr. Van Alstine's work and this book expands my view and understanding through its sweeping sense of scope and scale. The originality and evolution of the work is compellingly portrayed. The book beautifully conveys the underlying structure, design and content of the work and its connection with the "spirit of the land". I return to the pages of Bones often to admire and be spiritually uplifted.
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