
John Van Alstine, BLADE III, Sculpture 2001
View Similar Items
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 4
John Van AlstineJohn Van Alstine, BLADE III, Sculpture 20012001
2001
About the Item
- Creator:John Van Alstine (1952, American)
- Creation Year:2001
- Dimensions:Height: 13 in (33.02 cm)Width: 19 in (48.26 cm)Depth: 6 in (15.24 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Gallery Location:Greenwich, CT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU25115435852
John Van Alstine
BIOGRAPHY Born in upstate New York in 1952, John Van Alstine grew up in the southern Adirondack Mountains. After attending St. Lawrence University, Kent State University (BFA 1974) and Cornell University (MFA 1976), he joined the faculty at the University of Wyoming, Laramie, and later the University of Maryland, College Park, to teach drawing and sculpture. In 1986 he left teaching and moved to the New York area to pursue studio work full-time. In 1987 he purchased a 19th century industrial complex on the banks of the Sacandaga River and returned to the Adirondacks where he now lives and works in the restored historic structure. Van Alstine's work is held in many private and public and corporate collections in the United States and Europe. He has completed many large scale outdoor, site-specific commissions. ARTIST STATEMENT The union of stone and metal—recently rough-hewn New York slate and found object steel—are central in my sculpture. On its most basic level, the work is about the marriage of the natural with the human-made. Stone is used as an assemblage element in the way a welder uses steel, rather than in the traditional manner of subtraction. In contrast to the timelessness of stone, the found-object steel is very time-specific—20th century industrial. The industrial and structural characteristics inherent in the metal are often employed in the work and used to physically connect or suspend stone elements. The strength of the metal allows for a "choreographing" or "floating" of typically earthbound stone. The Sisyphean Circle Series is an attempt to draw parallels between the Greek mythological character and the plight of the artist. As we all know, Sisyphus was forced to roll a large stone up a steep hill, only to have it tumble back after reaching the top. A toil that lasts an eternity is an applicable metaphor for the creative process—especially for a stone sculptor, on both a physical and symbolic level. I am constantly pushing stone around the studio, striving to reach a creative "peak", and once there, start over on the next piece. The process is neverending. Albert Camus, the French existentialist, in his essay The Myth of Sisyphus, used this myth to illustrat his notion that reaching one’s final destination is not of utmost importance. In fact, if one "reconsiders Sisyphus", as Camus suggests, the struggle or journey reveals itself as, ultimately, the most meaningful—an idea that I, and many others, believe is central to the creative process. EDUCATION Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, M.F.A., Cornell Graduate Fellowship in Sculpture, 1976 Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, B.F.A. cum laude, Sculpture, Ceramics and Glass, 1974
Blossom Festival School, Cleveland-Kent, Ohio, 1973, Studied with Richard Stankiewicz, Richard Hunt
St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York, 1970-72
About the Seller
4.9
Gold Seller
Premium sellers maintaining a 4.3+ rating and 24-hour response times
Established in 2012
1stDibs seller since 2013
170 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 2 hours
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllJohn Van Alstine, UPPERCUT II, Sculpture 1987
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
UPPERCUT II
Enamel on granite and steel
16" (height) x 16" (width) x 10" (depth)
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate, and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The i...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Granite, Enamel, Steel
John Van Alstine, BLADE III, Sculpture 2001
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
BLADE III
Enamel on granite and steel
13" (height) x 19" (width) x 6" (depth)
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate, and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The inte...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Granite, Enamel, Steel
John Van Alstine, TWIN TUMBLE, Sculpture 2001
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
TWIN TUMBLE
Enamel on granite and steel
18" (height) x 30" (width) x 6" (depth)
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate, and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The in...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Granite, Enamel, Steel
John Van Alstine, HANGING CHAD COLUMN, Sculpture 2000
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
HANGING CHAD COLUMN
Enamel on granite and steel
77" (height) x 24" (width) x 10" (depth)
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate, and found object steel are central in my sculptur...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Granite, Enamel, Steel
John Van Alstine, Kerf V, Sculpture 2024
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Kerf V
Granite/pigmented and sealed steel
12" (height) x 14" (width) x 5" (depth)
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate, and found object steel are central in my sculpture. The ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Granite, Steel
John Van Alstine, Auger Falls Landscape (Low Gear), Sculpture 2024
By John Van Alstine
Located in Greenwich, CT
Auger Falls Landscape (Gear Bottom)
Green granite and sealed steel
15" (height) x 18" (width) x 5" (depth)
Stone and metal, usually granite or slate, and found object steel are cent...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Granite, Steel
You May Also Like
Mobius Minor 1/50 - dark, smooth, polished, abstract, black granite sculpture
By Jeremy Guy
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Smooth black granite has been engineered by Canadian artist Jeremy Guy into an elegant sculpture in the form of a mobius strip.
Granite base measures 7.25 W x 7.25 D x 2 H inches. ...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Stone, Granite
Chrysalis, unique stone sculpture, granite, limestone contemporary sculpture
By John Reeves
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Marble, granite and limestone sculpture
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Limestone, Granite, Belgian Black Marble
"Spinning to Sagittarius" kinetic sculpture
Located in Glen Ellen, CA
This stunning kinetic sculpture is made of welded, powdercoated, and painted steel in white and gradient shades of metallic pink, spiraling at the top of a tall pole. The colorful top section is counterbalanced by a brake drum and concrete cone that moves inside of a steel cage over an embedded base made of cast iron antique man-hole covers. It catches even the slightest breeze for near-constant movement!
Please watch the video to see the incredible wind-powered kinetic in action.
Jeff Glode...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Concrete, Steel, Iron
Price Upon Request
Uxmal, unique bronze sculpture by Greek-American sculptor and Harvard professor
Located in New York, NY
Dimitri Hadzi
Uxmal, 1991
Cast bronze on custom made granite base
17 × 30 1/2 × 14 inches
The title UXMAL, refers to the ancient Mayan city of Uxmal, which is known for its "Pyramid of the Magician"
Provenance:
Acquired by the original owner from the prestigious Gremillion Gallery in Houston, Texas (accompanied by a copy of the original receipt)
Measurements:
Base:
26.5 by 11 by 1.75 inches
Work longest
30.5 inches
Widest 14 inches
Highest. 17 inches
More about Dimitri Hadzi"
Derived from the figure and mythic narratives, Hadzi’s sculpture references antiquity and classical artifacts – abstracted anatomical forms, columnar and other architectural elements, helmets, weaponry and body armor function as visual metaphors for ancient cultures. “I was interested in mythology, and I was interested in movement,” Hadzi remarked on his years in Rome, “I was attempting through formal methods to exaggerate sexual tension or apprehension. Suddenly I was myself in an atmosphere of freedom.” [1] Powerfully rendered in bronze his sculptures convey raw emotion, brute strength and mass, tempered with a delicate rush of whimsy, vivacity and sensuality.
Born in New York City on March 21, 1921, Hadzi graduated from Cooper Union in 1950 and received a Fulbright Fellowship in the same year. After studying sculpture in Greece, he moved to Rome under the GI Bill where he lived for twenty-five years. Hadzi returned to the U.S. where he taught at Harvard University for fourteen years. He continued to create sculpture until his death in 2006.
Hadzi is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art; the Whitney Museum of American Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; The Phillips Collection and the Guggenheim Museum. Receiving over twenty sculpture commissions, Hadzi’s work appears in public squares, concert halls, federal and private plazas, and universities throughout the world.
---------------
[1] Elsen, Albert. “On Artistic Freedom: An Interview,” Dimitri Hadzi, (New York: Hudson Hills Press, 1996), 30.
Additional Biography:
Dimitri Hadzi (1921 – 2006) is among the most distinguished modernist sculptors, creator of works in bronze and stone that are powerfully abstract and expressionist in character. His contribution to the international language of sculpture continues to influence and inspire through permanent installations and collections, and exhibitions worldwide.
Born to Greek-American immigrant parents in New York City, he had a talent for drawing at an early age and won a prize for his young ability. But, it wasn't until after serving in the Air-force in the South Pacific during WWII that he turned his sights fully to painting and sculpture, going on to study both at Cooper Union. Eventually, he would become a mainstay of the Cambridge, MA art community. He was a Guggenheim Fellow (1957), the winner of the Venice Biennale Award (1962), and the Rome Prize (1974).
His most notable sculptures are: Copley Place Waterfall (Boston, MA), Owen Glass Co. (Toledo, OH), as well as Thermopolis, adjacent to Boston’s City Hall Plaza, and the former Omphalos in Harvard Square (Cambridge, MA).
Hadzi is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art; National Gallery of Art; Whitney Museum of American Art; Museum of Fine Art, Boston; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; The Phillips Collection and the Guggenheim Museum.
Additionally, Hadzi was also a prolific painter, and printmaker. He also taught at Harvard University for over a decade. Famously, David Hockney attended one of Hadzi’s classes at the Carpenter Center at Harvard, where Hadzi served as director. The two of them spent time together painting and discussing techniques. Hockney gifted Hadzi one of his paintings.
He worked alongside his good friend, Nobel Prize winning Irish poet...
Category
1990s Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Granite, Bronze
"Relic", abstract sculpture, torched wood, granite base, bicycle rubber tube
Located in Toronto, Ontario
"Relic" is a sculpture of geometric abstraction by Stan Olthuis composed of fire-torched pine wood, plywood, and reclaimed bicycle inner tube, mounted wit...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Granite, Metal
"Corner Rope" glass wall sculpture
By Mary Shaffer
Located in Glen Ellen, CA
For "Corner Rope," Mary Shaffer twisted beautifully clear hot glass into a thick rope shape. The metal ends attach to opposite walls in any corner, forming a sculpture light bridge t...
Category
1990s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Steel