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John Van AlstineJohn Van Alstine - Charon's Steel Styx Passage, Sculpture 19961996
1996
About the Item
Charon's Steel Styx Passage, John Van Alstine.
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The interaction of these materials is a major focus. On the most basic level the work is about the marriage of the natural with the human-made.
Stone is used as an assemblage element, the way a welder uses steel, rather than in the traditional manner of subtraction. In contrast to the timelessness of stone, the found-object metal (sometimes cast bronze) is time-specific - 20th century industrial. The industrial / structural characteristics inherent in the metal are often employed to physically connect or suspend stone elements allowing a "choreographing" or "floating" of stone. At their best, a compelling visual / physical irony is created.
The works strives to communicate on a number of different levels; physical, symbolic, metaphorical. The duality of an eastern or oriental acceptance of stone and a 20th century industrial American “can do” attitude toward metal is central to the work and an important characteristic that distinguishes it.
This sculpture will be shipped directly from the artist's studio.
- Creator:John Van Alstine (1952, American)
- Creation Year:1996
- Dimensions:Height: 210 in (533.4 cm)Width: 240 in (609.6 cm)Depth: 84 in (213.36 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Greenwich, CT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU25114044862
John Van Alstine
BIOGRAPHY Born in upstate New York in 1952, John Van Alstine grew up in the southern Adirondack Mountains. After attending St. Lawrence University, Kent State University (BFA 1974) and Cornell University (MFA 1976), he joined the faculty at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, and later the University of Maryland, College Park, to teach drawing and sculpture. In 1986 he left teaching and moved to the New York area to pursue studio work full-time. In 1987 he purchased a 19th century industrial complex on the banks of the Sacandaga River and returned to the Adirondacks where he now lives and works in the restored historic structure. Van Alstine's work is held in many private and public and corporate collections in the United States and Europe. He has completed many large scale outdoor, site-specific commissions. ARTIST STATEMENT The union of stone and metal—recently rough-hewn New York slate and found object steel—are central in my sculpture. On its most basic level, the work is about the marriage of the natural with the human-made. Stone is used as an assemblage element in the way a welder uses steel, rather than in the traditional manner of subtraction. In contrast to the timelessness of stone, the found-object steel is very time-specific—20th century industrial. The industrial and structural characteristics inherent in the metal are often employed in the work and used to physically connect or suspend stone elements. The strength of the metal allows for a "choreographing" or "floating" of typically earthbound stone. The Sisyphean Circle Series is an attempt to draw parallels between the Greek mythological character and the plight of the artist. As we all know, Sisyphus was forced to roll a large stone up a steep hill, only to have it tumble back after reaching the top. A toil that lasts an eternity is an applicable metaphor for the creative process—especially for a stone sculptor, on both a physical and symbolic level. I am constantly pushing stone around the studio, striving to reach a creative "peak", and once there, start over on the next piece. The process is neverending. Albert Camus, the French existentialist, in his essay The Myth of Sisyphus, used this myth to illustrat his notion that reaching one’s final destination is not of utmost importance. In fact, if one "reconsiders Sisyphus", as Camus suggests, the struggle or journey reveals itself as, ultimately, the most meaningful—an idea that I, and many others, believe is central to the creative process. EDUCATION Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, M.F.A., Cornell Graduate Fellowship in Sculpture, 1976 Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, B.F.A. cum laude, Sculpture, Ceramics and Glass, 1974
Blossom Festival School, Cleveland-Kent, Ohio, 1973, Studied with Richard Stankiewicz, Richard Hunt
St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York, 1970-72
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