27th Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition & Exhibition

Altered

Marvin Tadlock
Bristol, Tennessee

Steel
7′ x 3’6″ x 2′

Artist statement

Creating sculpture is my passion. As a Professor of Art at Virginia Intermont College, I have made my living for the past thirty-six years teaching, making art, and helping others to discover, enjoy, and make art. My heroes are David Smith, Edward Kienholz, Claes Oldenburg (earlier work), and Lewis Grizzard. My preferences are rusty steel over bronze or marble, tee shirts and Jeans over suits, Tuesdays over Sundays, and, show me rather than tell me. I love dogs, nature, storms, humor, passion for a cause, and fire. I prefer contemporary art above art from the past, peace above war, and religion with room for human frailty.

About the artist

Marvin Tadlock received his BFA and MFA from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro and his Doctor of Education from the University of Georgia, Athens. He has been the Chairperson of the Art Department at Virginia Intermont since 1972. His work can be found in numerous indoor and outdoor sculptures in private collections throughout southeast United States.

For more information, visit marvintadlock.com.

Artiglio

Michael Dillon
Alpharetta, Georgia

Forged iron, bronze, and stainless steel
14′ x 6′ x 4′

Artist statement

Creating sculpture for public spaces is my passion. As an artist/blacksmith living and working in North Georgia, I have more that 20 years experience creating both functional and sculptural works of art.

Forging iron exposes a shape and texture revealing an object “worked by hand.” Heating metal red-hot allows me to control this material in its briefly malleable state to create fluid and graceful structures. Using large industrial forging hammers I can impart power and force into the surface of the material.

“Artiglio” is Italian for talon. This sculpture was inspired by the spirit and flight of raptors. Birds and wings have been a conscious and unconscious recurring theme in many of my sculptures. I am drawn to their physical beauty and strength, as well as their spiritual and symbolic imagery. The upward motion of this piece embodies flight, and the sky becomes a significant element of the piece occupying the negative space. The stainless steel blades are blunt to the touch but visually convey the ferocity of talons ready to strike- the gesture of outstretched wings ready to pounce its prey. The heavy forged material embodies strength and power, and the open movement gestures toward the sky.

About the artist

Creating sculpture for public spaces is Michael’s passion. As an artist/blacksmith living and working in North Georgia, he has more than 20 years experience creating both functional and sculptural works of art. Michael builds hand forged stair railings, gates, sculpture and furniture for distinguished homes in Atlanta, and abroad. During the past 5 years, Michael has been successful expanding his career into the public art arena, creating several large-scale public sculptures in the south. In March 2013, Michael was awarded a large public sculpture for the City of Duluth, to be installed in Fall, 2013. With a strong background in sculpture, Michael finds joy in the balance of creating both architectural ironwork and distinctive sculptures. His peers have long recognized his work, and this past year he received the acclaimed Phillip Trammel Shutze award for craftsmanship in classical architecture.

Michael’s public work is modern, and narrative. He researches each community and tells a story incorporating their past, present and hopes for the future. Forging iron and carving stone, Michael exposes shape and texture revealing objects “worked by hand.” Heating metal red-hot allows Michael to control this material in its briefly malleable state to create fluid and graceful structures. Using large industrial forging hammers he imparts power and force into the surface of the material. Michael has always been interested in how things work, and how they are put together. This is evident in his sculptures, many of which are kinetic. Building kinetic pieces challenges Michael to engineer and make the seemingly impossible possible. For this project, Michael is excited to be a part of this team, where the physical movement of the water, and inspirational movement of spirit is the focus. His sculptural work becomes part of its interior or exterior landscape, interacting and reflecting its environment: the light, weather and human activity. The rhythm and form of each piece is constantly changing, inviting and exciting the viewer. Michael believes his sculptures develop a personality through this interaction with the viewer and community. When a person is involved physically with a piece, the sculpture can incorporate their emotions, history and personality. This interaction brings life to the sculpture, and creates an ever-changing dialogue that crosses cultural and socioeconomic boundaries.

For more information, visit www.dillonforge.com.

Dancing Milkweed V

David Boyajian
New Fairfield, Connecticut

Steel
10′ x 8′ x 5′

Artist statement

My sculpture is titled Dancing Milkweed V. Fabricated from steel this sculpture is a poetic narrative depicting the scattering or diaspora of seed forms in nature. Seeds are designed to travel like people do and during times of great conflict or natural disaster or personal timing, new options become available and things move. The Dancing Milkweed is about timing, releasing, holding on and letting go.

About the artist

David Boyajian was born and raised in Connecticut. After receiving his BFA in 1980 from Alfred University, David attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and in 1982 completed his MFA from Maryland Institute, Rinehart School of Sculpture. For the decade following his fine art education, Boyajian continued honing his skills and found his own visual language while assisting internationally acclaimed figurative sculptors Wolfgang Behl, Elbert Weinberg, and Andrew Coppola. In those days, David lived almost hermit like in his Hartford studio focusing his creative dynamism on narrative steel and wood sculptures often involving the figure. These gestural abstractions were inspired by images of man/women and their relationship to nature and dream. In 1991, Viviene Raynor of The New York Times called David Boyajian “a virtuoso wood carver, his pieces are incredibly complex…” 

In addition to his contemporary indoor sculptures in steel, bronze, and wood, Boyajian has completed dozens of monumental commissioned works, both public and private. Working primarily in steel, these immense works of art usually start with an architectural component such as an archway, window or gate. This becomes the framework or location for the linear aspect of the monument, rendering these works of art allegorical in nature. Harvest Gate, commissioned in 1994 by the Hunger Task Force of Leadership Greater Hartford was designed to raise funds and awareness concerning the issue of hunger. It acts as an entranceway to the Main Street Farmers Market in Hartford’s downtown. An earlier public piece titled Canton Gate reads like an existential travelogue. The Hartford Courant called Canton Gate; “not only aesthetically majestic: but historically, socially and environmentally informative; an imposing complex reminder of the rivers importance to the community.” 

By the mid 1990’s as a result of Boyajian’s highly visible public commissions, David was urged to show in several outdoor invitational. At that time, David began fabrication on a series of large-scale steel sculptures depicting the marriage between industrial material and organic forms. This grouping of rigorously crafted volumetric solids has developed into what is known as the Bud and Seed Series. In 1998 David was granted a solo exhibition of this work, which he titled Genesis. This outdoor show ran for eight months at the Robert Moses Sculpture Garden located at the Lincoln Center Campus of Fordham University in the heart of New York City. Grace Glueck of The New York Times said “Boyajian’s buds and seeds rise well above the usual dross” and Christopher Atamian of Review Magazine called Genesis “a quietly poetic series of sculptures; a powerful, sweet exhibition indeed.” In February of 2000, David was invited to show at the National Academy Museum’s, 175 Annual Exhibition and was awarded the Sydney Simon Sculpture Award. 

Since 1986, David has been teaching metal sculpture, introduction to foundry, stone and wood carving at the Sil-vermine School of Art in New Canaan, CT. In 1993 he became the Director of Sculpture Studies and is an artist member of the Silvermine Guild. Between 1994 and 1999, David had the honor of sitting on their Board. Since 1985, David has been a member of the Sculptors Guild (founded in 1937). He shows tri-annually with the Guild in the NYC area. Currently, David is an Adjunct Instructor teaching Drawing at Norwalk Community College and from 1995 – 1998, David taught Foundations / 3-D Design and Drawing at Southern Connecticut State University. Over the past decade he has been an Adjunct Instructor at the Hartford Art School, The College of New Rochelle, Graduate School, as well as Manchester Community College, Manchester, CT and Montgomery College in Rockville, MD. 

David Boyajian’s sculptures have won many awards and have appeared in numerous exhibitions including, The National Academy, NYC., The National Sculpture Society at Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT., Fordham University at Lincoln Center, NYC., Albright Knox Museum, Buffalo, NY., Katonah Museum, Katonah, NY., Lyman Allyn Museum, Norwich, CT., Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ., Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT., Chesterwood, Stockbridge, MA., Kyoto Gallery, Kyoto, Japan, and The Weatherburn Gallery, Naples, FL., to name a few. 

The maturity of David Boyajian’s work speaks for itself. His academic background, coupled with his technical mastery along with his interest to keep exploring powerful ways to present fine art to the public, has created a visual repast which challenges, excites, perhaps confounds–but always provokes the viewer to the esthetic testimony of contemporary art.

For more information, visit www.davidboyajian.com.

Celestial Darkness

Glenn Zweygardt
Alfred Station, New York

Granite, painted steel, and brass
15′ x 3″ x 3′

Artist statement

According to a recent Smithsonian article, we may be living in 4% of the universe. The remaining 96% is dark matter and we have yet to learn about it. Celestial Darkness is a sculpture of mine that speaks to all that unknown darkness in outer space that has yet to come into our reality. What a headshot! I love all that scientific intrigue! Outer space is so unknown as is our inner space and physical mechanics.

The theme of my sculpture is the placement of myself in relation to nature. While working in materials such as metal, stone and glass, I am telling three-dimensional stories that capture my life experiences immersed in my perception of a collective consciousness. It is my intention that these stories, spoken through an expression of form, texture and color, will enter into human consciousness and the fourth dimension.

About the artist

Born and raised in northwest Kansas, Glenn Zweygardt received his BFA from Wichita State University in sculpture and painting. He then earned his MFA from the Rinehart School of Sculpture at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland.

For over 40 years, Glenn has been an active sculptor and educator. With more than 50 solo exhibitions and multiple purchase awards to his name, he shows works both nationally and internationally. His sculptures are included in many university, museum, outdoor and private collections.

Now an emeritus Professor of Sculpture at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Glenn continues to make signature sculptures in his Alfred Station studio. His creations of steel, ductile iron, stainless steel, cast glass, cast bronze and aluminum are often combined with stone from around the world. These sculptures range from monumental outdoor works to small, intimate pieces.

For more information, visit www.glennzweygardt.com.

Construction to Commemorate

Mark Dickson
Tallahassee, Florida

Welded and painted steel and stainless steel
7’5″ x 4’2″ x 3′

Artist statement

I am consumed with the process of sculpting: the physical act of creating by the deconstruction and reconstruction of ideas. The struggle to reassign beauty, power and meaning to both found and raw materials. Allowing these forms to exist free of the constraints of the expected norm.

The entanglement, the blood, sweat and smoke, the challenge of steel, fire and heat. I call this the romance of construction, and thru this action I seek to challenge the familiar. It is my hope that the viewer will join me on this journey.

About the artist

Mark Dickson starts with concepts like form, negative space, and abstract suggestion. Then guided by themes like; music, flight, wind, water, machinery, and even personal guardians, he shapes freestanding or pedestal-mounted sculptures. He combines shapes to form a single piece of singular emotional influence. The result is a realization of the beauty of the abstract form.

Mark draws on knowledge acquired from independent studies in metal design,fabrication, casting, foundry methods, and blacksmithing. Three influences were; Professors Jim Devore of Sierra College in California, Charles Hook, the late Professor of Sculpture at Florida State University, and the late Master Craftsman Jerry Grice. Marks’ work is collected throughout the United States in public and private collections. His fluid large-scale pieces are appropriate for landscape architecture and opened interiors. His sense of tight design, light abstraction and use of negative space suit the modern style, for areas ranging from compact to expansive.

Dickson is a native of northern California and has been a resident of Tallahassee Florida for twelve years. He teaches sculpture part time as an adjunct instructor at North Florida Community College in Madison Florida, and is a full time sculptor with a working studio in Tallahassee.

For more information, visit www.markdicksonstudios.com.

Entrapped Imagination

Jordan Krutsch
Greenville, North Carolina

Oiled steel and red ball
7′ x 2′ x 2′

Artist statement

“Entrapped Imagination” deals with the pursuits of creativity confined by the structural methodology of adult and working life. A big red ball is recognized as a playful object; when shown trapped in a dark steel tower it calls for escape and recognition of its existence. As the ball expands and shrinks with temperature and pressure changes it shows its desire to break free.

About the artist

Originally from Defiance, Ohio, Jordan Krutsch is now the sculpture technician at East Carolina University School of Art and Design. He received his BFA from Bowling Green State University in December 2010 under the watchful eyes of Professors Shawn Morin and Araan Schmidt. His recent work has been very exploratory trying new (to him) forms and ideas.  

Jordan enjoys the Iron Casting culture and can be found in the Contemporary Cast Iron Art database at http://castironart.omeka.net/

For more information, visit www.krutschworks.com.

Lámhanna

Mark A. Connelley
Brevard, North Carolina

Steel
8’7″ x 6’10” x 3’9″

Artist statement

The inspiration for this piece comes from a natural rock formation found in Glen Lyon, Perthshire, Scotland. When viewed from a certain angle, the rocks look like a pair of hands pressed together.

My piece is an abstract interpretation of this formation. I wanted to capture the otherworldly and precarious nature of the rocks without literally replicating them. Working with steel, I created the hands as one monolithic piece, and to capture the tension of the original formation, I elevated and suspended the hands between two adjacent boulder-like shapes. Furthermore, the face of the hands is tilted forward fifteen degrees to give the observer the uneasy feeling that the formation could fall forward. It is quite secure, and even though I am well aware of this, I still enjoy the excitement of standing in front of it.

The name Lámhanna (pronounced lah-vah-NAH) is an ancient Gaelic word for hands.

About the artist

Mark Connelley is a sculptor and landscape artist who works primarily in steel and natural materials to create large-scale sculpture and engaging environments.

With a background in landscape architecture and land planning, Mark spent many years designing projects throughout the world. His extensive experience, which involves conceptual design, master planning, sculpture park and garden design and detailed design exposed him to a wide variety of art, architecture and cultures. As a sculptor, Mark not only creates large-scale sculpture but also enjoys creating the environments in which the pieces are featured and the collaborative process that is involved with every project.

For more information, visit www.macworks-art.com.

Small Bull

Jim Collins
Signal Mountain, Tennessee

Stainless steel and recycled D.O.T. traffic signs
5′ x 5′ x 2’5″

Artist statement

People love seeing things in the art world that are easy to identify. However, most people treasure art that is challenging in its interpretation. The theme of my sculpture is based on sound historic forms together with fine craftsmanship. Creativity and craftsmanship are the two main elements of my art.

About the artist

Jim Collins is primarily a sculptor working in a figurative manner, best exemplified by his long running series the WATCHER. His sculpture style has been characterized by the use of silhouettes of people and animals constructed of stainless steel, aluminum and other metals. Collins was a Professor of Art at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga from 1966-1983 when he resigned that teaching position to devote full time to his career as a professional artist. 

Collins has an extensive and impressive exhibition record including numerous solo shows, several major public commissions, invitational exhibitions, and competitions. Presently he concentrates mostly on private and public commissions, both in sculpture and mixed media collage. He received an A.B. degree from Marshall University in West Virginia, a M.P.H. degree from the University of Michigan, and a M.F.A. degree in sculpture from Ohio University. There is more information in the Dictionary of American Sculptors and Who’s Who in American Art.

For more information, visit www.collins3d.com.

Small Celebration

Ann Melanie
Greenville, North Carolina

Welded and painted steel
10′ x 3′ x 2.5′

Artist statement

My work represents my explorations in methods, materials, and scale. The work is structural in nature drawing from constructivism, minimalism, and my affinity for straight lines and right angles; it encompasses a wide variety of media and process, ranging in scale from miniature to monumental I choose simple geometric shape as the basis of my work, this allows me great latitude in the creation of my sculpture. These simple forms lend themselves readily to casting, carving, fabrication, and construction; it also allows me unlimited opportunity to explore surface. The use of simple shape establishes a level of recognition for the viewer. The repetition of same or similar elements strengthens the viewers’ sense of the familiar. The rectilinear forms represent windows and doors; windows, which look from my world into yours but keep us apart, and doors, which allow us, passage through. Windows and doors are not literal images, but act as a symbolic reference to ideas, images, and emotions. My work is the sum of my life experiences it has no specific meaning and it means everything. The work is simple in its form and complex in its construction.

About the artist

Ann Melanie, was born in Moses Lake Washington, her family is from Skowhegan Maine; Melanie received her MFA in sculpture in 1995 from East Carolina University. Her work includes gallery-scale and large public sculptures. Melanie uses simple forms that lend themselves to casting, carving and fabrication. She has shown throughout the United States in many venues, including the Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition, and The Pyramid Sculpture Park in Hamilton, Ohio. Her work is part of the permanent collection of the East Carolina Sculpture Park. She currently lives in Greenville, North Carolina where she is the academic advisor for the School of Art and Design at East Carolina University.

Tinker Toy

Dana Gingras
Mooresville, North Carolina

Painted steel
10’6″ x 4′ x 4′

Artist statement

I have always had a fascination with color. However, it has been absent in my work for a number of years as I focused on more natural patinas and finishes. Recently I found an old copy of Josef Albers book Interaction of Color and my love for color was born anew. I decided to create a body of work that would balance between playfulness, and a more serious exploration of color theory.

Tinker Toy is the third piece in the series “contemplating color”. It celebrates both the innocence of childhood, and at the same time explores the juxtaposition of colors and their interactions with the changing light and shadows. 

At first glance Tinker Toy is meant to simply delight. Its bright primary colors and basic forms are easily related to, and are meant to evoke memories of a simple carefree time. However, upon closer inspection one will notice that the colors are not static. Each color reacts differently to the one next to it depending on time of day and the changing seasons. Tinker Toy is a piece that is in a state of constant flux. It is a fun way to encourage viewers to slow down and contemplate the subtle nature of color.

About the artist

Dana Gingras grew up surrounded by nature in rural Northwest Connecticut, the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. After traveling extensively throughout Europe and the United States he received his degree from The University of Connecticut. Continuing his education he won a coveted apprenticeship at Lorenz Studios and spent the next three years refining his skills working with noted glass and steel sculptor Larry Livolsi. For the past fifteen years he has maintained a studio focusing on large-scale sculpture and custom interior pieces. Currently based in Mooresville NC. His work can be found in public and private collections across the country.

His primary mediums are glass, steel, and wood. Dana’s work comes from the process of understanding these materials, their intrinsic properties, and inherent beauty. “My goal is to create something new and visually stimulating, yet still retain the natural dignity of material”. He currently runs Gingras Studios in Mooresville, NC.

For more information, visit www.danagingras.com.