My Sculpture Influences

Below are listed several sculptors who have had an influence on my work.

In all cases I've studied the sculpture produced by the said artists. In a few other cases the influence was not only in the form of inspiration.

Calder for me is an example of how a scupltor can live his or her life. He continued to produce to the last with the greatest of verve and humor. Calder was not an overnight sensation. He went for years producing in the face of great apathy by the critical community. His friends appreciated his work and he appreciated his work. That was enough for many years. And, blissfully his success later in life did not appear to have any effect upon him other than providing opportunity to complete projects that would have been impossible otherwise.

Dubuffet is an example to me of an artist with a vision who is not afraid to flirt with OCD. ;-) He found a vision and pursued it with vigor and no fear of the industrial nature of sculpture.

Moore is a great artists whose work has been of great influence. However, I don't find myself studying his work as often as Arp, Noguchi, and Hepworth. They all produce works which speak directly to my heart.

Brancusi is a kind of special case for me. I don't study his works as much these days as I did when I first started. Even so I owe much of my current work to him since it was through an inspiration brought on by one of his pieces that I started and finished my first true sculpture.

All of this aside I owe the fact that I'm currently sculpting to the artistic direction and encouragement of artist E.J. Gold. Without his periodic promptings to be courageous and his excellent critique I couldn't have refined my vision to its current hone.

Barbara Hepworth (English, 1903-1975): ARTIST PROFILE -- National Museum of Women in the Arts; Hepworth Museum; Various Works

Henry Moore: Henry Moore Foundation; Henry Moore Institute; Henry Moore (The Movie)

Jean Arp (also Hans Arp) (1887-1966): Short Bio; A couple images; The Early Sculpture of Jean Arp, by Margherita Andreotti.; Arp: Collected French Writings; Arp, by James T. Soby. Museum of Modern Art catalogue.

Isamu Noguchi: Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum; A couple images; Isamu Noguchi : A Study of Space, by Margherita Andreotti.; Spaces of the Mind : Isamu Notuchi's Dance Designs; Isamu Noguchi by Sam Hunter, Isamu Noguchi, Bryan Ohno Gallery

Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957): Short Bio; Noguchi on Brancusi; Links; Brancusi (Great Modern Masters); Constantin Brancusi, 1876-1957 by Friedrich Teja Bach, Margit Rowell, Ann Temkin; Constantin Brancusi by Margit Rowell, Ann Temkin, Friedrich Teja Bach

Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985): Dubuffet Foundation; Short Bio; Links; Dubuffet by Franzke; Work of Jean Dubuffet by Pe Selz; Jean Dubuffet : Petites Statues De LA Vie Precaire

Alexander Caulder: Calder Foundation; National Gallery Virtual Tour; Links; Calder : 1898-1976 (Album Series); Alexander Calder 1898-1976 by Marla Prather, Alexander Calder, Alexander S. C. Rower; Alexander Calder by Joan M. Marter, Alexander Calder; Alexander Calder and His Magic Mobiles; Calder Sculpture; Three Alexander Calders : A Family Memoir; Animal Sketching

Marcel Duchamp: Bio & More; Famous Ready-Made; A few images; Famous Ready-Made; Marcel Duchamp : Artist of the Century; The Complete Works of Marcel Duchamp