Leo E. Osborne
Daphne, 40" high bronze relief
2005

About the Item

Daphne by Leo E. Osborne High Relief Female Torso, originally carved from Maple Burl. Patina merges from red to gold. Bronze 40x17x9" ed/50 The sculpture retains some of the natural burl texture that it was carved from in the lower right, emphasizing the lore the artwork refers to; 'This charming myth talks about the platonic love of god Apollo for the beautiful nymph Daphne. It is said that Daphne was the first love of Apollo but unfortunately the girl never responded his love. It was not usual or possible for a nymph or a mortal woman in the Greek mythology to resist to the love of a god, but Daphne did so and in fact, she lost her life trying to escape this love. Daphne turned to the river god, Peneus, and pleaded for him to free her from Apollo. In response, Peneus use metamorphosis to turn Daphne into a laurel tree. Apollo was heart-broken at the loss of Daphne and to remember her for ever, he made the laurel the symbol of tribute to poets.' ABOUT THE ARTIST: Leo E. Osborne began woodcarving wildlife birds in the 1980's, and was into detail, to the finest degree. His work received major recognition when he began to introduce the wall sculptures, using rock-like wood carvings with realistic birds on them. Painting and sculpture are rhythm, musical form, mood, feeling, the jazz and the energy within. Release that from wood or with paint and the story unfolds. The artist is the instrument for release. The mind moves and the tool walks on its own. Become one with the tool, one with the medium, blend, move together, feel the music and feel life. Leo continues to investigate many mediums and potentialities in art, as with his paintings, which he refers to as “acrylusion”, the fusion of acrylic paint over gold leaf gilded panels. He refuses to get locked into a niche and play the same tune over and over. He has always been a sort of rebel. His philosophy is that ART transcends all borders and boundaries. Each creation of our hands comes from the heart and mind and reflects the creative spirit and energy of the Universal Maker. Therefore, we must honor it as sacred. As caretakers of this planet, we must in all hospitality and with consciousness leave this life having given back something of beauty. We must be led by spirit and like so many artists prior, we are storytellers of our time. Where will we find Leo and his work heading? One cannot be certain, for he knows not where spirit will lead him. He remains open for all possibilities to become present in his life and work. In doing so, Leo E. Osborne keeps the dream alive, allows for the mystery to unfold, creating 'mystology' and striving for excellence.

Creator:

Leo E. Osborne (1947)

Creation Year:

2005

Dimensions:

Height: 40 in (101.6 cm)Width: 17 in (43.18 cm)Depth: 9 in (22.86 cm)

Medium:

Bronze

Movement & Style:

Contemporary

Period:

2000-2009