Nov. 15, 2020

A conversation about stone between sculptors Sebastian Martorana, Peter Glenn Oakley, Steve Shaheen and Alasdair Thomson.

Annotations:

1:40 - Whiskey discussion, professional scotch evaluation by the Scotsman.

7:30 - Introductions and the WHEN, HOW and WHY each of us started sculpting stone.

23:40 - Discussion of the difficulties inherent to stone carving as opposed to other media.

28:00 - Why the challenges of the material and process are important, and inform both the creation and viewing of stone sculpture.

30:37 - Part of the attraction to the medium of stone are its various components (problem solving, difficulty, the element of risk, and other influences interacting that keep the artist engaged.

31:43 - Question: How do you know when a piece is “finished”? How does one know when to stop when pursuing details obsessively? Issues with verisimilitude, trump l'oeil, viewer engagement with sculpture in stone that reads as another material, the inherent “charisma” of particular subjects.

43:30 - Question: Are there any fictional stone works from a famous movie that are impressive or drive you nuts?

47:45 - Question for Sebastian, continuing the topic of “when is a piece finished.” Between balancing commissions, non-commission work, and life, are sculptures “done” when they meet aesthetic needs or practical limitations?

51:30 Questions - How much of your work is contract work, as opposed to on spec with the hope of selling later? How do you acquire commissions?

59:45 - The balance between commission and personal work, the relationship between fine arts sculptors and tradespeople/fabrication workshops.

1:03:25 - Question - I’m a beginner sculpting mostly by myself at home. I worry about developing bad habits w/o a teacher around. Curious what good habits you learned from the beginning that make your practice strong?

1:09:54 - Question - Of all the stone sculptures you have seen, which do you admire the most?

1:18:22 - Question - The idea of failure is an interesting one; I just heard an academic conference on this in Renaissance art. Could you talk about failure, whether in flawed materials/ adapting when something goes awry?

1:29:22 - Question for Peter - Do you leave support “bridges” in your work? Discussion about supports, Fred X Brownstein, Bernini’s David, Sebastian’s restoration project.

1:35:26 - Question - How important do you think drawing skills are for stone carving? To that end, how do you mainly acquire commissions/jobs? The role of drawing/sketches/sketchbooks discussed, as well as how important it can be for proposals. Peter discusses the impossibility of rendering a sculpture which can’t be entirely predetermined because aesthetic choices are constantly being made during the sculpting process.

1:43:19 - Discussion about commission subject matter, and how much of it is chosen by the artist versus getting “approval,” “input,” and “suggestions” by collectors.

1:45:34 - Have you ever been approached by a client with a terrible idea? If you need the work, do you take it on? Continued discussion on the balance between “bread and butter” jobs versus things we make from pure volition, how some commission work can be unexpectedly rewarding.

1:53:00 - Question - Can you all mention a work that you've made which is most important to your creative development? One that is closest to your heart-not necessarily one you're most known for. Maybe mention why.

2:07:45 - Addressing life/sculpting in quarantine, how it’s affected our practices. What are you all working on something that excites you?