Jeff Powell's Artist's Statement
An artist's statement is supposed to say big, important sounding
things about how the artist views his or her work and how it
springs from something deep within. It might make claims about
the interconnectedness of all things, or some kind of mystical
energy that drives the artist to create. Don't go looking for
that here. I'm far too practical to say anything like that.
I create art because it's fun. I sculpt because I think and feel
in three dimensions, not two. Is that too simple?
No matter. I love to sculpt. I fell into it by accident,
but once I started, I couldn't stop. I may slow down for various
reasons, but I don't stop.
Sculpting makes use of skills that don't get used much in other
parts of my life. In addition, I get a chance to learn new things,
spend time fiddling with tools, making a mess, and -- on occasion
-- I sell a piece of art to someone who really wants it.
Learning, playing, and personal validation. That's a great set of
reasons to do almost anything.
You may want to know about the various media I work in. At the moment,
they include:
- Softer carving stones -- alabaster, soapstone, limestone, and
some marbles. These all allow for a relatively quick
translation of the form I see in my head into the final stone.
- Bronze casting of stone originals.
- Lately I've been doing welded steel, but it's new, and I don't
know how much of it I will turn out.
- Mixed stone and metal pieces are in my head, but nothing has made it
out yet.
- Other mixed, 3-D media are there too, lurking, waiting for the right
moment. They'll appear.
You may want to know more about about my subject matter and style. That's
hard to generalize. I've done abstracts, bowls, and representational work. In
stone, I carve whatever strikes my fancy, limited by what works with the rock
I have in front of me. Maybe someday I'll specialize or develop a
particular style all my own, but for now, I do whatever I want.
Finally, a few words about my carving methods: I do some carvings
with tools and techniques that Michaelangelo would recognize. I
do others with pneumatic tools and electric grinders. Regardless of
the tools, though, it's my hands that do all the work. There is
something wonderfully relaxing about actually working and polishing
stone. It makes the cares of the day disappear.
I enjoyed creating these things. I hope you enjoy looking at them.
Please contact me if you have questions
about any of this work.
Thank you!
Back