Patrick Gracewood

Sculpture is the art form that best deals with eternity and mortality; it lasts for centuries. Most of what we know of the deep past is sculpture, from graves both personal and cultural.

I love art of the ancient world, my own work collapses the time between then and now. An Ancient Egyptian cell phone? A 'newly discovered' Tang Dynasty reliquary? No problem for my imagination.

Professionally, I made sculpture for film, tv, the display industry, and architectural restoration. All the film work went into the dumpster at the end of filming. Creating sculpture for historic restoration and new construction was satisfying, because it lasts. Recreating architectural ornamental sculpture influenced my own fine art, philosophically and technically, but I never expected to integrate its symbols into my own work. To my surprise, they bring their own depth and meaning to my art.
 

The classical nature motifs used as architectural ornament: acanthus, oak, laurel leaves, fruit-and-flower garlands, represent centuries of tradition honoring the relationship between civilization and nature. We inherently crave the comfort of civilization and the vitality of nature. The combination of nature, sculpture and architecture is part of our cultural heritage. My art continues the classical tradition in a dialog between the living Earth and the built environment.