Exhibition Dates

October 8th - November 8th, 2009

Exhibition Title

Creatures in Stone and Steel: Sculpture and Drawing by Claire Hendry Foster

Overview

Creating sculptures is a way to make the images and creatures of my imagination into a reality. I desire to create objects of beauty and interest, to capture the imaginative and fantastic in a tangible, visual object.

Wood, stone, steel, and clay all have unique properties and potentials. In the process of discovering these potentials – learning to work with the materials and shaping them into pieces – my experimentation allows the original beauty of the materials to come through. Steel can be manipulated in such a way as to be organic and inorganic, flowing and rigid. Stone can be carved and transformed into an object with life and presence. These sculptures reflect my desire to use stone and steel to bring to life creatures of my imagination.
My work is very nature-oriented. I love trees and their various forms, sizes, shapes, colors, and heights. I enjoy animal anatomy and the intricate balance of bones and muscles. The two fish included in the exhibition are in part inspired by both Japanese woodblock koi prints and Medieval European bestiary images. The sculpted trees are an attempt at making steel look like a living branch.

I take great pleasure in the process of creating each piece. Hours of heating and pounding metal are almost meditative, as well as physically and mentally challenging. Revealing an idea in a lump of stone is difficult and rewarding. I enjoy working to further refine my skills and techniques, so that my work may exhibit the beauty and form that I desire.

– Claire Henry Foster, Class of 2006

Place(s) Exhibited

Wikoff Student Gallery, Nott Memorial, 3rd Floor