Artist Statement – John Van Alstine

Many of my works incorporate anvils, either real or cast. The anvil's form, reminiscent of a boat or vessel, carries an inherent suggestion of journey—an idea that has long fascinated me. As a metalworker and “assembler,” I regard the anvil as both a physical and conceptual forge, the place where things come together and where the act of making transforms into art. For me, it holds an almost sacred presence—an altar of creation. In fact, I've titled a number of these works Ara, the Latin word for “altar.”

Throughout my practice, I strive to breathe a sense of life and airiness into materials that are otherwise dense and earthbound—rough granite, industrial-scale steel, and other heavy elements. The anvil, perhaps the ultimate emblem of weight and solidity, becomes especially compelling when lifted into the air. That gesture introduces a dynamic tension, a sense of levitation that animates the work and challenges our expectations of gravity and mass.