To this day, art still influences this town that was once home to Pat Boone, Sammy Davis, Jr., Buddy Hackett, Alan Alda, Al B. Sure, and Anthony Bourdain. Classic and original plays are performed at the Civil War Drill Hall by resident acting company, the Player’s Guild of Leonia; craft shows are held in the town center; book readings are presented by authors at the local Library; and streets are filled with aromas of Italian, Spanish, and Korean foods being prepared by renowned chefs in neighborhood restaurants.
One showcase of talent and display of dedication to the arts is the Erika and David Boyd Sculpture Garden. This rotating display allows sculptors to exhibit their works and Leonians to enjoy the visual enrichment of the community.
This
blog presents several of the sculptures that have enhanced this historically rich
art environment.
PISCES DENIED and C-SQUARED
by Jerome Harris Parmet
“C-Squared” demonstrates the
conflict of a thick, heavy structure protruding from the earth on an angle –
appearing as if it could fall in either direction with even a slight
breeze. The structure is secured to its
base at just the appropriate angle to realize its balance-tension.
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| C-Squared |
Artist, Jerome Harris Parmet
notes that when working with a preconceived drawing, there is less decision
making involved its execution. But in the construction of all of his pieces, he
lets the sculpture have its “say” in the final design outcome. In order to conclude the obvious open-circle
void space in “C-Squared,” Jerome built models from cardboard, wax, metal, and
wire until that “eureka” moment arrived.
He translated the form into reality, uniting the entire sculpture.
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| Pisces Denied |
As with “Pisces Denied” and
other works, Jerome describes his joy in working with steel. “It may seem to the observer as a cold, inert
material, but understanding its capabilities urges an appreciation for the
material. It bends at my will and then
returns to a fixed state – it’s almost magical.
It allows me to express my sense of design and philosophy. I focus on the process and work my way to an
artistic conclusion.”
Enjoy my full interview with Jerome Harris Parmet by clicking here.
Enjoy my full interview with Jerome Harris Parmet by clicking here.
About the Artist
From
graduating design school at Syracuse University in 1957, to managing his own
interior architecture firm for 35 years, to exhibiting works throughout the
country – acclaimed sculptor, Jerome Harris Parmet, has dedicated his life to
the arts. His sculptures,
displayed in art centers, sculpture gardens, and private collections are
revered for their presentation of simple shapes that assume complex dimensions
and new forms from every angle.
For more information, visit www.sculpture.org/parmet.
MY
FATHER’S HOUSE
by Dan Bergman
Traditionally a sculptor who works with metal, Dan Bergman veered to wood with the creation of "My Father's House."
Traditionally a sculptor who works with metal, Dan Bergman veered to wood with the creation of "My Father's House."
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| My Father's House |
The carved out space in this
sculpture represents the house. It is
visible from every angle of the three-paneled display. Here, Dan describes his fascination with
houses and his artistic intensions for “My Father’s House.”
About
the Artist
Dan Bergman grew up in
Chicago and Cleveland. After a 30-year
business career, he began studying at New York’s Art Students League. His sculpture has been exhibited in many solo
and group shows, and he has executed a number of public works. He is known for intense, convoluted welded
pieces, wind-driven kinetic works, and explorations of mathematical structures
such as tensegrity.
For more information, visit www.danbergmansculpture.com.
DISPOSABLE HERO
by Damien Vera
“Disposable Hero,” which won
an award from The Sculptor’s Alliance,
is a life-size adjustable steel figure inspired by a Vietnam veteran who was
homeless in New York City. The piece is
stripped down to bare emotion. Like a
toy soldier played with and disposed of, one can sense emptiness and loss in
this sculpture.
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| Disposable Hero |
The sculpture is poignantly
positioned in the Erika and David Boyd Sculpture Garden looking towards the
American Legion Hall across the way.
About
the Artist
Damien Vera is a technical
instructor teaching students the basics of metal working, forming, and welding
as well as artistic uses for metal at The Art Student’s League in New York
City. Constantly intrigued not
only by the human body, but the human spirit as well, he delights in meeting
new people and hearing their tales.
HUSBAND AND WIFE and FALLING WOMAN
by Judith Peck
Sculptor, Judith Peck, describes her sculptures as being inspired by people – how they look, speak, and act; how they endure travail and tragedy; how they celebrate joy. They address thematic concerns about the choices people make and the choices made for them by history, by chance, and by the intensities of their emotions and experience. The landscape of people is an infinite terrain full of vitality, pain, and joy. It is always changing. The artists is too changed as she explores familiar and unfamiliar places with the tools of carving, molding, and fabrication in hand.
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| Husband And Wife |
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| Falling Woman |
In this video, the artist describes why she sculpted “Falling Woman.”
About
the Artist
Judith Peck’s sculptures are
in 80 public and private collections, including the American Art Collection of
Yale University, West Palm Beach Florida Library, the Ghetto Fighters Museum in
Israel, the Rockland Center for Holocaust Studies, Temple Beth El in New York,
and in New Jersey at the Teaneck Public Library, Ridgewood Train Station, and
Tenafly High School. Judith Peck has a
doctoral degree from New York University and two Master’s degrees in Sculpture
and Art Education from Teachers College at Columbia University. She is a professor and the author of several
books on the creative process.
THE GATES OF TRANSCENDENCE
by Michael Alfano
"The Gates of Transcendence" is a
larger-than-life face split down the middle, representing the two sides to
every situation. It addresses the idea
of transcendence which the viewer can experience from multiple angles. Facing this monumental portrait provokes
thoughts of life on an heroic scale, with all of its challenges. From behind the sculpture, the viewer can
look through the eyes, as if looking through someone else’s eyes, to see a
different perspective. Walking through
the “The Gates of Transcendence” is like
taking a symbolic journey into a clear new view of life.
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| The Gates of Transcendence |
About the Artist
For over fifteen years,
Michael Alfano has been sculpting in clay, creating figurative-based realistic
and surrealistic works that are often philosophical. His sculptures, including commissioned
portraits and monuments, are found in galleries, museums, public venues, and
private collections around the globe. Michael
has won over 50 awards at juried exhibitions, including the Sculptor of the Year.
THE
THINKER and THE SAGE
by Michael Bertelli
“The Thinker,” nicknamed
“Snubby,” is cloned in bonded marble from the original marble sculpture.
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| The Thinker |
“The Sage” is respected for
his wisdom, experience and judgment. This
piece is cloned in bonded marble from the original marble.
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| The Sage |
About the Artist
Michael Bertelli has been a
professional sculptor for over thirty years, working in wood, stone, bronze,
and porcelain. His public works can be
seen throughout New Jersey in cities, parks, campuses, churches, and
hospitals. His work has evolved from
realistic, as in “Bust of Pope John Paul II” presented to the Pope in Rome, to
his current unique fictional characters like “Snubby” and “The Sage” now
residing in Leonia.
For more information, visit www.mikebertelli.com.
WALKING FIGURE
by Marilyn Friedman
This six-foot terra cotta sculpture is hollow and stands over a single support. The work reflects the variety of tools used by the artist. Clay was pulled, pressed, and dragged to build the forms, silhouettes, and motifs of an abstract figure whose interrelationships express the process of its creation. The artist’s choice of material relates directly to the natural world. The piece captures the dualities of strength and fragility and vitality and stillness in both its creation and expression.
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| Walking Figure |
Here, Marilyn describes her
process in creating “Walking Figure.”
About
the Artist
Marilyn Friedman studied at the
Art Students League of New York, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture,
and the University of Siena, Italy. She
has received numerous grants and awards for her works from organizations such
as the National Academy of Design, the National Sculpture Society, and the
National Arts Club.
Marilyn Friedman’s work is
in many private collections. She has
also created commissioned sculptures for Kohler, Lufthansa, and Absolut. She has taught sculpture at Parsons School of
Design and Montoya Art Studios, and is currently teaching at the Art Students
League of New York.
THE TIMES REBORN
by Craig Usher
Artist Craig Usher explains,
“I am interested in the blending of progressive and traditional sculpture. Sculpture is a kind of vessel reflecting the
self, which continues to communicate information beyond the work of the maker.
This idea of transcendence is a powerful inspiration as it moves one beyond self
in order to connect with others. Sculpting
is one way for an individual to make a mark and counter the immense alienation
of existence.”
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| The Times Reborn |
About the Artist
While earning his BFA in
Sculpture from SUNY Purchase College of Art and Design, Craig Usher developed
an intensive interest in working with the figure. After working for artist fabrication
companies and assisting various artists, Craig’s endeavors led him to the New
York Studio School of Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture and an exploration in
working with the life model.
For more information, visit www.craigusher.net.
RISING SUN and WALDORF A
by Gil Hawkins
Made of polished aluminum
and standing guard in front of Leonia’s Borough Hall, “Rising Sun” captures the
presence of “now.”
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| Rising Sun |
In describing “Waldorf A,” Gil
Hawkins explains that the title relates to social genre of New York City in the
late fifties. “I recall the uniformed
doormen of the hotels and posh apartment houses on Manhattan’s east side,
polishing brass door decorations as patrons passed without noticing. The literal name is quite inadequate
nomenclature for the sculptural expression.”
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| Waldorf A |
“Waldorf A” is composed of
shapes and forms found in architecture or industry. Individual pieces are bolted together rather
than welded because the union created by bolting, as the artist describes, is
both difficult and expressive.
About the Artist
Gil Hawkins has won several
awards including 1st place in Sculpture
in the Rittenhouse Square Fine Arts Show and winner of the Sculpture at Newark Airport
competition. He has had countless exhibitions
and one-man shows, at venues such as the Puffin Cultural Center Forum, Delaware
Museum, and the Stamford Museum and Nature Center. Gil’s work is displayed in collections at the
Storm King Art Center, The Puffin Cultural Forum, and in several private
collections.
He earned his BFA in Sculpture from the Philadelphia College of Art and was part of the Arts Students League in New York. He has taught at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Pace, New York University, and Sarah Lawrence College, among others.
He earned his BFA in Sculpture from the Philadelphia College of Art and was part of the Arts Students League in New York. He has taught at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Pace, New York University, and Sarah Lawrence College, among others.
CAN’T
BRING ME DOWN
by Jodi Carlson
“Can’t Bring Me Down” is a
towering metal sculpture of a bud vase containing an abstraction of a
lily. Originally created to be displayed
in a 150-acre farm, the artist chose a subject in nature and welded it to a
grand scale.
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| Can't Bring Me Down |
Here artist, Jodi Carlson,
describes why she called her sculpture “Can’t Bring Me Down.”
About the Artist
Jodi Carlson is a metal
sculptor who creates abstract and semi-abstract art. She has shown her works in a variety of sites
in the tri-state area including William Maxwell Fine Arts in Peekskill, New York;
the Frasier Woods Montessori school in Newton, Connecticut; and the Putnam Arts
Council in Brewster and Mahopac, New York.
Jodi has trained under sculptors David Boyajian of The Sculpture Barn in New Fairfield, Connecticut and Robert Perucci of Silvermine Guild Arts Center in New Canaan, Connecticut. In addition to her work as an occupational therapist, Jodi continues to expand her welding skills at Silvermine Guild Arts Center.
For more information visit, www.jodicarlson.com.
BUOY
and TWO SPHERES
by Grace Knowlton
Originally a painter, Grace Knowlton has traveled freely through various art forms, methods, and materials. She has had exhibitions that included works of her photographs, drawings, paintings, and sculptures.
Originally a painter, Grace Knowlton has traveled freely through various art forms, methods, and materials. She has had exhibitions that included works of her photographs, drawings, paintings, and sculptures.
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| Buoy and Two Spheres |
“Buoy” and “Two Spheres” are
made from copper and show various stages of patination. The surfaces of dulled copper to white patina
result from various solutions applied to the shell-like enclosures and from
their exposure to the elements. Organic
seams joining the copper sheets, mossy coloration, and different textures
combine to make evocative surfaces.
About
the Artist
Grace Knowlton has exhibited
extensively throughout the United States.
Her wok is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn
Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Yale University
Art Gallery in New Haven, and others.
SUPERBUGS
#1, #2 and #3
by Mary Martire
Garden sculptures even grace
the trees. These hanging sculptures of a
ladybug, cicada, and bumble bee have see-through forms that evoke the elusive
quality of bugs. Hanging high in the
trees, they offer a whimsical joy to those who walk the grounds.
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| SuperBugs |
About
the Artist
Mary Martire teaches a
sculpture class in New Jersey and uses bugs and butterflies as inspiration to
create her three-foot “Superbug” sculptures.
BALANCING AT HIGH SPEED and DEFINING BOUNDARIES
by Eric David Laxman
For Eric David Laxman, sculpture is a journey and exploration that helps in understanding and making sense of the world. “Balancing at High Speed” and “Defining Boundaries” integrate hard stone and metal into coherent, figurative compositions. The figures express the themes of transformation, growth, balance, and movement.
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| Balancing At High Speed and Defining Boundaries |
Eric describes, “It is my
intention to create sculptures that seem spontaneous and inevitable using a
process that is labor intensive and deliberate.
I transform materials while respecting their unique properties and raw
fundamental nature. The recognition of
discreet parts and creation of a new, unified whole is the essence of my
creative process.”
About
the Artist
Eric David Laxman is an accomplished
sculptor and furniture designer who has created a unique studio and showroom at
the Garnerville Art and Industrial Center in New York. He has exhibited his diverse works throughout
the metropolitan area and nationwide. He
was awarded the Rockland County Executive
Art Award for Visual Artist and was recognized by Rockland’s business
community in the “Forty Under Forty” award
ceremony. Eric has recently completed a
large sculpture commission for the City of Sculpture in Hamilton, Ohio and has
completed commissions for the Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut and the Summit
Medical group in New Jersey.
For more information, visit www.ericdavidlaxman.com.
GALLOPING
HORSE 2
by Adrian Landon
Gaining inspiration from his father and grandfather, who were expert horsemen, Adrian Landon’s first figurative metal piece was a life-size horse’s head. After that came a few small horses and then a whole life-size horse. “Galloping Horse 2” is every bit as powerful and majestic as the horses he was surrounded by throughout his life.
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| Galloping Horse 2 |
The pieces that make up the sculpture are cut and formed from flat metal sheets. In a labor-intensive process, the sheets are hand forged with anvil and hammer.
About
the Artist
Adrian Landon grew up in New
York City and attended the Lycee Francais de New York. After a year of industrial design at the
Academy of Art in San Francisco and a year of traveling through the Unites
States, he returned to New York City in 2009 and began the craft of welding and
forging at the Arts Students League.
DANCING
IN THE RAIN
by Herrat Sommerhoff
Herrat Sommerhoff’s outdoor sculptures are made out of Styrofoam packing material covered with flexible cement. This colorful piece in the Leonia Sculpture Garden is called “Dancing In The Rain.”
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| Dancing In The Rain |
About
the Artist
Herrat Sommerhoff was born
and educated in Germany. After
immigrating to the United States, she began her art studies at Bergen Community
College and continued at the Art Students League in New York as well as the Art
Center of Northern New Jersey in New Milford.
Herrat is affiliated with
the Art Center of Northern New Jersey, SALUTE to Women in the Arts, and NAWA
(National Association of Women Artists).
Her artwork is in numerous collections throughout New Jersey and New
York. Last summer, Herrat was the grant
recipient for the public arts project, “The Doors of Roxbury” in the Catskills.
For more information, visit www.herratsommerhoff.com.
THREE
ABSTRACTIONS
by Paul Von Ringelheim
Paul Von Ringelheim was born
during a turbulent time in history in Vienna, Austria in 1934. As a young boy, he was exposed to the evils
of the Nazi Party. He and his family
managed to escape and immigrate to America.
They settled in Newark, New
Jersey before moving to Brooklyn. Paul
attended Fairleigh Dickinson University and enjoyed the arts from a very young
age. In 1959, Paul had the honor of
befriending the famous Pablo Picasso. He
studied and worked with this extraordinary man.
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| Three Abstractions |
In 1964 and 1965, Paul’s
“World Peace Screen” 50’ long by 10’ high cast bronze was created as a
non-wall. It was prominently displayed
at the New York World’s Fair. That very
same sculpture can be seen on Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Teaneck campus.
Later, Paul was commissioned by former President Gerald Ford to create a sculpture at his estate in Palm Springs, California. Many of his works are a permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and the Getty Museum. Paul believed that art is what you want it to be. Art can be a personal and individual experience.
Tragically, while on a working vacation in Venice in 2001, he passed away.
WELCOME
POST 2 and BURNING BUSH
by James Murray
As sculptor, James Murray explains, “My sculpture is an extension of what I do every day of my life, or vice versa. Everything I touch seems to turn into sculpture – the commissioned furniture, the apartments that I recreate, and my home.”
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| Welcome Post 2 and Burning Bush |
James carves in wood and
steel, welds in steel and aluminum, and casts in bronze. He puts found objects together in unexpected
ways – admittedly sometimes with humor.
He connects sculpture to the environment where it will live.
For more information, visit www.jameshmurray.com.
Begrudgingly,
BB
