Sculptors Gallery, Richard Collins

Statue E10 – Mother and Baby

Understanding Your New Statue:

·                    This is the tenth in a series of statues examining the relations between two or more people.

·                    This is a fairly simple picture of a mother and child.  It is so familiar you might be overwhelmed with many, slightly varied,  images of women and their children you have in your memory.   To break apart all those memories, you might want to consider the many internal states of the woman, and the child.   The woman will almost certainly have her own private thoughts and feelings.  The mood might be gentle, angry, sad, frustrated, relieved, watchful – and for each mood there will be many reasons.  The baby itself has its own internal life.  It might be happy, uncomfortable, hungry, tired, watchful, intent.  By thinking of the different internal states of the two you can start to organize your memories of all woman and children.

·                    The statue should keep tipping from one interpretation to another.  It is the frission of multiple interpretations that I am trying to capture.

·                    I hope you can try to imagine the many complex feelings that can run through the moment.  Try to imagine her anticipating moving to a new place, or taking the child to the hospital, or visiting a grandparent who has never seen the baby.  Stretch yourself to see new meanings..

·                    I deliberately left the figures indistinct, so your mind can shift easily between feelings.  The statue is a touch stone to invoke different scenes and interpretations.

·                    Even though this statue has been carved in stone, it should be constantly changing.

Interacting with the Statue:

·                    The statue is intended to evoke feelings and memories.  And, as own your feelings change, you should see different things in the statue.  You should see different motives, feelings and emotions.  If you are constantly finding new things in the statue, I have accomplished my goal.

·                    The statue should look different from different directions.  See how many distinct views you can discover.  Can your friends find new ones?

·                    Close your eyes and touch the stone. “Looking with your eyes closed” is one way you will get what I felt when I was carving.  It is the literal feel of the statue.  Enjoy the textures.

·                    It is OK to touch it.  Over time the statue will pick up the oils from your hands and take on a patina of use that reflects how you, your family, and friends have interacted with the statue.  You do not need to wash it off, leave it as part of your memories.

·                    I left the statue with scars because I think touches each person in unique ways.

·                    If you can put mirrors behind it, you will be able to see more than one side at once.  The statue is very much intended to be seen from all directions at once.

·                    Each time you meditate on this statue will be different - though I expect you will have your own favorite interpretations.

The Stone, Caring for the Statue:

·                    The stone is Austin limestone.  There are places on it where the shell shows through  This is part of owning a unique natural stone carving.

·                    The stone is fairly strong.  Part of the reason for keeping it massive is so there are no weak parts sticking out.  It is supposed to be touched by children, and to survive the various things they do to things that interest them. 

·                    Mostly the statue should take care of itself.  The stone will absorb stains.  You can wash it with soapy water, just be sure to rinse thoroughly.  It will absorb some of the water and look darker for a while.  After it dries it will go back to its usual color.

·                    The statue is intended to last a lifetime - an interesting and welcome part of your daily life.

Richard Collins - April 2010