"Surrender" and how it came to be
These are a few thoughts I wanted to share with you regarding the "Surrender" sculpture I created. The sculpture is about relationships, love, life, and death of loved ones. It is about the ultimate need to let go of those closest to us. It is also a reflection on the heartbreaking events in New York City, Washington DC, and Shanksville PA during and after 9/11.
The nakedness of the two forms reveals how vulnerable we feel when confronted with events out of our control. I wanted to express the anguish and torment we feel when faced with the type of loss that resists death's final grasp of loved ones. The enveloping roots from the earth and wrapping around and turning into their bodies is symbolic of the final stages of returning to Mother Earth.
Some people have viewed "Surrender", on first impression, as two people dancing, but enjoy the surprise when, upon closer inspection, the work is about something much more. Others have seen the work as a Holocaust sculpture ... of the persistence and struggle of the human spirit.
The inspiration for "Surrender" came from my personal experiences from a breakup with someone I had cared for very much. I was also feeling pain and anguish from the recent death of my father. These feelings of loss, finality of the event, regrets, longing, and the complete lack of control over the event drove me to design and create "Surrender".
Creating a sculpture can be compared to writers compelled to capture their thoughts on paper or a musician driven to compose and play music. Once the person commits their thoughts with pen and paper they feel free to move on. This is very much how I felt. Once I was able to create "Surrender" in clay and bronze, I felt I could move on.
Many of the pieces I create must connect with people without a back story. However, having a backstory takes the viewer to an even deeper meaning. With "Surrender" I believe I achieved both; This piece can stand on its own and, upon learning the backstory, the viewer is able to enjoy it even more.
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Bonus update: Last email I sent out talked about the "Angel of Hope, steel". I put together a short, time lapse video that you might enjoy of it being moved for display.
Link to video: http://blip.tv/file/898364
