Photos © John Farnham 2014
http://www.johnfarnham.co.uk/
Soapstone, H25 cm x W34 cm x D20cm
Inspired by his extensive travels, John Farnham’s direct carvings originate from cultural images, absorbed then seemingly forgotten until they are transformed into compact compositions in stone. John re-interprets figurative imagery to create distinctive sculptures.
Mayan Family contrasts the masculinity and femininity of the historic peoples of Mesoamerica.
The semi-abstract heroic male head is covered with a polished helmet, bearing confident linear incisions which convey forward movement along the horizontal plane. The partial view of the upper face intensifies the determined outward gaze.
The female shields a young child cocooned tenderly beneath her bowed body. Her unbound hair cascades to conceal her emotions, though her left arm extends to embrace her own protector. The silhouette of their rounded forms resembles the ancient picture-writing that influenced this carving.
Though inextricably connected as a universal trinity, individual personalities and persuasions are implied by the differing proportional scale of each family member.
| Exhibited: | Walter Strachan Art Centre, Bishop Stortford College, 9 January 2015 – 27 March 2015. |
| Provenance: | Purchased on 9 January 2015 for a private collection. |
