Items Similar to The Laurel Series, #6
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5
Michael O'KeefeThe Laurel Series, #62011
2011
About the Item
Michael O’Keefe’s sculptures, drawings, and paintings depict figurative narratives born from unpredictable processes. He couples innovative methods with unconventional tools to create figuration that is fresh and original. O’Keefe says, “My playful processes generate exciting and new vocabulary. I compose these vocabularies according to my artistic compass, forming each work into a dynamic visual experience. It is not until the work is near completion that I begin to recognize the figures within; they are from the past, of our time, and perhaps, pointing to the future. These figures put us within a narrative that begins, with no preamble, in the middle of things (In Medias Res).”
About his Laurel Series, Michael O'Keefe states:
"I believe that nature follows a general rhyme and reason. After many years of drawing and sculpting from the model, and many additional years teaching in front of the model, I have come to understand the general laws of the forms of the human body. These laws are not simply about mechanics but are also about the more general way in which natural forms move through space, interact with each other, transition from one to the next, compliment each other and contrast each other. As one becomes more familiar with the forms of the human body one realizes that the same visible laws of nature can be found in other non-human natural forms. I have always found that trees are especially interesting in how they relate to, and in many cases echo, human forms. There are countless examples in literature of the anthropomorphizing of trees, and for good reason. It is a basic and an innate tendency of human psychology to attribute human traits to just about anything, but trees are especially fertile ground in this regard. First and foremost, the gesture of form in trees is so incredibly relatable to the gesture of form in the human body. The various sequences of form that allow us to read people's body language can often be found in the forms of a tree. This is why, on a number of occasions, I have happened upon branches, stumps, or other tree fragments that struck me as a beautiful, albeit partial, figurative sculpture already underway. In the case of the Laurel Figure series, all of the torsos of these figures are derived from a single mold that was made from a section of tree that I spotted floating at the edge of White Rock Lake. The shape of this section of tree, accompanied by the movement of the surface texture, made for a very evocative female torso with the suggestion of a dress. Having captured this shape and texture in a rubber mold, I was able to make various casts with differing contours by bending the mold in different ways before casting. Each torso had its own gesture that was completed with the construction of legs and a head. In ancient Greek Mythology, Daphne was turned into a laurel tree to avoid the pursuing Apollo, rendering the laurel tree a symbol of human triumph. Alternatively, I used the triumphant forms and texture of a tree to render my figures alive with expressive gestural movement."
Michael O’Keefe earned his MFA from SMU and currently teaches at The O’Keefe Studio Center in Richardson, Texas.
- Creator:Michael O'Keefe (1977, American)
- Creation Year:2011
- Dimensions:Height: 48 in (121.92 cm)Width: 14.5 in (36.83 cm)Depth: 9.38 in (23.83 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Dallas, TX
- Reference Number:Seller: 167471stDibs: LU2572141753
About the Seller
5.0
Recognized Seller
These prestigious sellers are industry leaders and represent the highest echelon for item quality and design.
Established in 1954
1stDibs seller since 2013
160 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 17 hours
Associations
Art Dealers Association of America
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Dallas, TX
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllOn the Conception of the Hip
By Michael O'Keefe
Located in Dallas, TX
“Everybody has that feeling when they look at a work of art and it’s right, that sudden familiarity, a sort of...recognition, as though they were creating it themselves, as though it...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Plaster, Paint
Desiderium Head
By Michael O'Keefe
Located in Dallas, TX
In his sculptures, drawings and paintings, Michael O’Keefe employs unpredictable processes as a means to discover content. He couples accident and chance with unconventional methods, tools, and materials as a means to move beyond the boundaries of his tendencies. In his recent sculptures of heads...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Plaster, Pigment
The Voice From Without
By Deborah Ballard
Located in Dallas, TX
From Memories of Egypt Series.
The figure has always been Deborah Ballard’s muse in her sculptures. Ballard works in bronze, cast stone, and plaster; her figures ranging from life-s...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sculptures
Materials
Plaster, Wax, Pigment
Walk Series: Going Places
By Deborah Ballard
Located in Dallas, TX
The figure has always been Deborah Ballard’s muse in her sculptures. Ballard works in bronze, cast stone, and plaster; her figures ranging from life-size to hand-size. Ballard says, ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sculptures
Materials
Iron
Agathist Head
By Michael O'Keefe
Located in Dallas, TX
In his sculptures, drawings and paintings, Michael O’Keefe employs unpredictable processes as a means to discover content. He couples accident and chance with unconventional methods,...
Category
2010s Contemporary Sculptures
Materials
Plaster, Pigment
Think II
By Deborah Ballard
Located in Dallas, TX
The figure has always been Deborah Ballard’s muse in her sculptures. Ballard works in bronze, cast stone, and plaster; her figures ranging from life-size to hand-size. Ballard says...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Iron, Stainless Steel
You May Also Like
Ram's Head Contemporary Plaster Sculpture with Green Patina Ancient Rome Style
Located in Firenze, IT
This contemporary plaster sculpture of a ram’s head is inspired by the art of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece with a reference to Neoclassicism and Neoclassical period old masters, when the discoveries of archaeological sites became the focal point in art history between the 18th and 19th century.
The artist is able to attribute incredible details to this work of art featuring a majestic appearance due to its large curling ridged horns.
This animal figurative work of art is sculpted on the round, the artist took inspiration both from his imagination and archaic reminiscences. He modeled the inert chalk creating an animal with very real facial expression and incredible realistic features with intricate detailed head.
This sculpture is the plaster cast hand modeled by the artist that served him as a reference model to create a bronze sculpture with the lost wax technique, also the bronze version is on sale on my page.
So it represents the first phase of a fascinating and long process of creating sculptural art, a studio piece made as a maquette before a bronze version was cast.
The present aries' head sculpture has been painted to simulate the green patina that archaeological metal sculptures take over the centuries. Two green patina sculptures...
Category
2010s Contemporary Still-life Sculptures
Materials
Plaster, Lacquer, Paint, Chalk
Architectural Concrete and Plaster Sculpture, 2025 - 'Aqueduc'
Located in Bruxelles, BE
"Aqueduc" is part of an edition of 5 pieces.
Mattia Listowski (b. 1987, Paris, France) is a French sculptor, draughtsman, and photographer with French, Italian, and Polish origins, ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Concrete
Victim
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Nicholas Crombach has a BFA from OCAD University with a major in Sculpture and Installation. In 2016-17 he participated in a year-long studio residency at The Florence Trust in Londo...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Plaster
Bird Watcher
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Nicholas Crombach has a BFA from OCAD University with a major in Sculpture and Installation. In 2016-17 he participated in a year-long studio residency at The Florence Trust in Londo...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Plaster
Hunter #1
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Nicholas Crombach is currently an artist in residence at The Florence Trust in London, UK. Crombach graduated from OCAD University’s Sculpture and Installation program in 2012. He h...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Plaster
Hunter #2
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Nicholas Crombach has a BFA from OCAD University with a major in Sculpture and Installation. In 2016-17 he participated in a year-long studio residency at The Florence Trust in Londo...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Plaster