Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
November 1991. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 32 × 31 × 10 in (81 × 79 × 25 cm).
Cudgel II is part of my ongoing exploration of tools and tool-like forms as expressive vehicles. I have always thought of tools as extensions of our hands and, for artists, essential allies in the quest for creating. A cudgel is among the most elemental of these forms—an extension of the arm associated with physical action, strength, and force. In Cudgel II, the combination of slate and steel suggests something that might be grasped, lifted, or swung, giving the sculpture a distinctly human presence.
Tools also connect to my broader interest in movement, balance, gravity, and gesture. Like my references to dance, gymnastics, and fencing, they provide a way to evoke the figure without depicting it literally.
John Van Alstine
November 1991. Slate, steel. Dimensions: 32 × 31 × 10 in (81 × 79 × 25 cm).
Cudgel II is part of my ongoing exploration of tools and tool-like forms as expressive vehicles. I have always thought of tools as extensions of our hands and, for artists, essential allies in the quest for creating. A cudgel is among the most elemental of these forms—an extension of the arm associated with physical action, strength, and force. In Cudgel II, the combination of slate and steel suggests something that might be grasped, lifted, or swung, giving the sculpture a distinctly human presence.
Tools also connect to my broader interest in movement, balance, gravity, and gesture. Like my references to dance, gymnastics, and fencing, they provide a way to evoke the figure without depicting it literally.
John Van Alstine