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Detail, head
Tree roots seen through head of figure
Detail, tree roots
Detail, figure and tree roots
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VIEW IN MY ROOM

Something That Could Know Sculpture

Phillip Stern

United States

Sculpture, Wood on Wood

Size: 65 W x 72 H x 41 D in

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$15,500

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About The Artwork

This sculpture began with an ailing juniper tree in my yard. I thought it would be fairly easy to remove, but as I worked really hard to dislodge its roots, I realized how tenaciously and intelligently connected the tree was with its environment. I had a funny feeling that I was becoming part of the tree’s system even as I was removing it. I knew I wanted to create a sculptural world with the tree I had extracted playing a major role. Staged in a table-like frame, the sculpture is a mini-drama about the exploitation of nature, resistance, and mutual risk. With roots above the trunk and branches—in the stance of an animal—the tree meets the gaze of a figure made of cover tubing and cement, perched on the edge of the table. The table is tilted and the top is a partial chequerboard leaving many squares to fall through. What I hope viewers will take away is the sense that life is a joint undertaking among different types of beings and our destinies are all tied up together. It’s an emotional piece, full of wonder at the interconnectedness between forms of life. It honestly confronts how the natural environment suffers, but leaves open the sense of possibilities, new ways to think, and steer action for a common good.

Details & Dimensions

Sculpture:Wood on Wood

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:65 W x 72 H x 41 D in

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Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.

I greatly enjoy connecting with nature through sculpture. In my walks through woodlands in the northeast U.S., I am drawn to the fantastic diversity and adaptability of trees, marveling at the forms, textures, and colors of their roots, trunks, bark, and leaves. I gather fragments of fallen trees in my studio, study them, and see what they are hinting at. With these cues, as well as ideas and images from science, I seek to generate a dialogue between humanity and nature. These natural objects are intriguing to me because I find some aspect of humanness in them. I use the objects to help articulate a figure—a twisted vine becomes a spine, wavy bark becomes an undulating torso. These objects come to me already sculpted by nature—by genetics, storms, insects, or microbes—and it’s delightful to find clever new ways to employ their wonderful characteristics. Sometimes I’m thinking of a different animal—a bird or a bat—at the same time as a human. I want viewers to see my work as a space to feel free and explore what it is like to be human in such a complex universe.

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