Stone Talk
by Athar Jaber | 29 September 2024
Quote
“All the sculptures of today, like those of the past, will end one day in pieces… So it is important to fashion one’s work carefully in its smallest recess and charge every particle of matter with life.”
Happy Birthday Antoine Coysevox
Today marks the birthday of Antoine Coysevox, one of the great French Baroque sculptors of the 17th century. Renowned for his dynamic portraits and monumental sculptures, Coysevox worked extensively at the Palace of Versailles, where his skillful use of marble and bronze helped define the grandeur of Louis XIV’s reign. His ability to capture both realism and movement in stone left a lasting legacy, influencing generations of sculptors that followed.
As I am currently questioning the role an artist can play in the midst of contemporary socio-political upheaval – and the representation of powerful figures – Coysevox’s work reminds me of the powerful connection between art and historical narrative, showing how art can shape how history is remembered and understood.
A podcast on the fragility of stone
In a recent podcast, Stone: Making and Breaking Legacies, Camille Dungy reflects on the fragility and significance of stone, focusing on Tullio Lombardo’s Renaissance masterpiece, Adam, which tragically shattered at The Met back in 2002. The podcast tells the story of conservators meticulously piecing it back together, revealing the emotional and technical challenges behind restoring such an important work. It also explores the ancient connection to stone, including Mesopotamian ruler Gudea’s use of diorite to preserve his legacy. The episode left me contemplating how stone, despite its permanence, holds both fragility and life.
A book on art and destruction
The theme of destruction explored in the podcast mentioned above reminded me of a book I read a while ago. Titled Art and Destruction and edited in 2013 by Jennifer Walden (Associate Academic Dean at the University of Portsmouth, UK), the book presents a series of essays by various scholars and artists exploring how destruction plays a pivotal role in the creative process. From intimate interventions in exhibited art to larger-scale representations of mass destruction, the book offers a nuanced perspective on how breaking down matter and medium can lead to profound artistic expression.
Here you can find a free, open-access PDF of the work.
Jago shares his sculpting process
This one’s to balance out all the entropy and destruction focused talk above: Recently, Geopop produced a fascinating behind-the-scenes video featuring my dear friend, Jago, one of the most celebrated Italian sculptors of today. The video takes you through the creation of his monumental marble statue David – an insanely ambitious project of carving a female version of Michelangelo’s David, matching its size. In the video, Jago explains, in eloquent yet simple terms, how a marble statue is brought to life, offering an accessible insight into the complex process of stone carving.
Q&A
Do you have specific question around sculpture and stone carving? Submit your question here below and I’ll do my best to answer it in one of the next Stone Talk Newsletters.
I hope you enjoyed these points and that you learned something new.
Until next week,
Athar
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