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The Dawn of Man - 2001: A Space Odyssey
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- Category: Sculptures
If one were to name the most significant films of the twentieth century, 2001: A Space Odyssey would surely be among the top ten. And of all the most iconic scenes in any film of any era or genre, "The Dawn of Man" sequence would likely be among the top ten as well. This absolutley brilliant piece was conceived by Stanley Kubrick (in collaboration with Arthur C. Clark) and depicts the moment that primitive ape-like man (Australopithecus possibly) transcends his species via a spark of intelligence - triggered by the Monolith. The alpha primate smashing the tapir bones was credited as "Moon-Watcher" and was played by Daniel Richter in an incredibly realistic ape-suit that was decades ahead of its time. I actually think this live action sequence with its inventive visual effects is far superior in quality and verisimilitude than most of today's CGI generated animation. In sculpting this scene, I paid homage to Kubrick's work and kept the anatomical proportions consistent with a homo sapiens in an ape suit. My thanks again to the Ceramic Art Studio and Shop.
Wet clay model
Tinker Bell
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Tinker Bell was a fairy companion of Peter Pan in the stage play and novel by J. M. Barrie. Along with Mickey Mouse, Tinker Bell has become a de facto mascot of the Walt Disney company and is remembered for famously dotting the "i" in the Disney signature logo. I originally had intended to sculpt a plain fairy, but opted to pay homage to the world's most beloved fairy, Tinker Bell. My thanks again to the Ceramic Art Studio and Shop.
Wet clay model
Zhu Bajie "Pigsy" from Journey to the West
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Zhu Bajie (猪八戒, 저팔계, ちょ はっかい) is a pig-like character in the famous 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West. He, along with Sha Wujing, are the companions of Sun Wukong in their mission to protect Tang Sanzang, a Buddhist monk in a sacred pilgrimage. There are countless media adaptations of this classic tale throughout Asia, and a Japanese musical anime titled Alakazam the Great introduced these fantastic characters to American audiences in 1960. I remember seeing an airing of this for the first time on KTLA's Family Film Festival hosted by Tom Hatten during the 80's. In sculpting Zhu Bajie I wanted to try a different take and use a male boar for the head, but he ended up looking a lot like ALF from the 80-90's sitcom. I reverted him back to a typical pig-like appearance with his primary weapon, the Nine-toothed rake. I suppose it's only a matter of time before I sculpt Sha Wujing to complete the classic trio. My thanks again to the Ceramic Art Studio and Shop.
Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie - just need to sculpt Sha Wujing to complete the classic trio!
Wet clay model
The Valkyrie
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- Category: Sculptures
In Norse mythology, Valkyries decided the fate of warriors in battle, and those that were chosen for death were taken by them to Valhalla where they received a hero's welcome by Odin and other gods like Thor, and served mead. Recent archaeological evidence suggest tales of Valkyries existed well before 700 AD. Their role in ancient mythology was not unlike that of the celestial maidens of Asia or angels in Judeo Christian religion in that their main purpose was to perform the bidding of a supreme heavenly being such as Odin or Jehovah. I based my sculpture on my favorite Valkyrie, Brunhild (or Brünnhilde in Wagner's epic Ring Cycle opera: Die Walkure). In this operatic tale, Brunhild defies her father's (Odin's) order by second guessing his true intent, which angers him even more. But as much as he is angry with Brunhild, he allows her to have some say in choosing her own fate - revealing how much he loved her of all his Valkyrie daughters. This piece is meant to capture the moment that Brunhild descends from the heavens as she is transformed by Odin into a normal woman and about to be laid to sleep surrounded by a ring of fire, ensuring that only the bravest of heroes will be able to pass through it to save and claim her. My thanks again to the Ceramic Art Studio and Shop.
Wet clay model
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