Atlas and Axis (SOLD)

Atlas and Axis forms part of the Structure Series (see portfolio). As all the work in this series, this sculpture is an ensemble of various pieces, in this case two. I am drawn to the mechanical aspect of the skeletal systems, and how the design of each bone or part, is determined by the function it must perform.

This work took several years to complete. I planned to make an Atlas and Axis for some time, but I did not have a clear idea as to what material I was going to use, so the project lay dormant. Then, one day a poplar tree -dear to us, was cut down (see The Old Poplar Tree). We retrieved the biggest sections of lumber, and once in the studio, it became clear to me that I would be carving Atlas and Axis from the old poplar tree.

Since the beginning of this process, I knew I wanted to homage the tree by not altering or “fixing” the faults and knots on the wood. Instead, I have celebrated these scars as tributes to the character and life of a great tree.