[Today’s featured artwork for Day 19 of the 365 Days Project is by Pierre Karam.]
We live in a world of three dimensions. Life, however, can become “one-dimensional.”
#19 – Sculpture makes us appreciate all dimensions, reminding us there is more than one angle to explore.
The Artist Mind rarely takes anything at face value. It’ll walk around to see the other side, turn it upside down, examine it from all perspectives. It teaches us that there’s more than one way to experience art – to experience life.
As a sculptor, I am always aware that although I may be working on one area of a three-dimensional piece, there are other perspectives I must continually keep in mind as I work. I constantly move around the piece, looking at it from the top, the bottom, from all sides to see if it continues to make sense from all angles. Sometimes I’ll even hold it up to a mirror for a fresh perspective. There are unlimited variations to viewing the work and they all have to shine with their particular “truth.”
When I experience a sculptural work in a museum, I know that it is displayed with its “best side” facing the public.
“Sculpture is what you bump into when you back up to see a painting.”
Barnett Newman
Missing a full sculptural experience is a missed opportunity. I’ll take the time to approach it, crouch down and look up, go around to the back, explore it from every possible angle. As the form shifts under my moving gaze, I am reminded that what we often see at first glance is not the whole story. It is a lesson that requires physical movement and therefore stays with me long after my sculptural encounter.
“You have to create your life. You have to carve it, like a sculpture.”
William Shatner
Pierre Karam’s artwork can be viewed at Pierre Karam.
The 365 Days Project
In 2012, Serena Kovalosky committed to writing an article a day for 365 days as an exploration into the lives of artists and the value of creative thinking in our society.
Experience the full evolution of the project! Click below to read the entire collection of articles.
Descriptions of the images included in this post:
Resistance
Pierre Karam, Beirut, Lebanon
Testa (Lebanese stone)
Break
Pierre Karam, Beirut, Lebanon
Bronze
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