lisbeth sabol

artist statement

 

Because of its expressiveness and grace, I find the figure to be a perpetual source of inspiration and a continual challenge.

 

I work in the figurative tradition, yet my sculptures have a sense of modernity about them. Although informed by the historic tradition of the classical figure in art, my sculptures incorporate the unique element of my contemporary outlook. My work explores contemporary self-identity: how we see ourselves and how we relate to one another. It is an exploration of both our exterior and interior landscapes.

 

My sculptures address universal ideas about identity without defaulting to over-simplification of the figure. And while my forms are faithful to anatomical reality, slavishly reproducing anatomy is not my goal. My primary focus is the depth of human expressiveness of each figure. I want the viewer to identify with what it would feel like to inhabit the forms I create.

 

Sculpting the figure is highly fulfilling; it is immensely rewarding to transform a cold block of stone or a lifeless mass of clay into an expressive sculpture. Each sculpture I create has a strong underlying structure --- the forms are powerful and embody energy and motion. 

 

My sculptures trigger an emotional response. Some people have connected with them on a profound level: the following is a letter from a woman who related to one of my sculptures with deep personal intensity.

 

Dear Lisbeth, I lost my sister to an aneurism in December and my mother to cancer in September and I felt that something was missing to represent these lives.  I certainly did not set out to purchase anything when visiting the gallery last week. I found myself so drawn to the "Arching Nude" sculpture that I just had to purchase her. I believe that the sculpture truly represented what was missing to represent these two strong female lives. Thank you.

- Ms. Trudie D. Auckland, New Zealand, January 2004

 

I continue to be compelled to sculpt the figure because of these strong associations to the human form. Each of us carries our own set of associations relating to the human body that trigger a range of reactions to figurative art. It is an incredibly rich subject with which to work.