Nurturing at Hillsides The sculpture, Nurturing, in front of Hillsides’ administration building looks pretty much as the finished sculpture will look when cast in bronze. Jesse at the foundry described how the patinating process would pretty closely match the color of the redwood, even duplicating dark streaks of grain. I am asking for donations for the bronze casting and building the pedestal on which it will stand through this website: igg.me/at/goyo/x/3125557 Greg’s Background For many years, I worked at Ventura Community College as English/ESL instructor and sculpted wood as a part time pleasure. On retirement, I discovered that experimenting with sculpture was how I wished to use these extra leisure hours. I am not a trained sculptor, which probably contributes to how I carve. I see that everything is connected, and that wood has the same spirit as I do - this thing - has, or a rock, or a leaf has. In carving a piece of wood, I look to see what the wood wants to become, and as I work I see the wood’s spirit emerge. The piece starts to come alive, and at its completion it is ready to interact with us, other spirits. Greg Marquez, sculptor “Nurturing” was created through an unusual series of events. Clearing away the dead and unwanted wood and bark, the piece reached a point where I was stuck. The wood wasn’t responding. I couldn’t see what it wanted to become. There was something there, but I couldn’t see it. This went on for a couple of months while I kept busy on another piece. Finally, after a couple of months and while reading a book that described looping, the sculpture suddenly became clear. But first, looping. In the book, the author described how in nature, a looping feedback process occurs in many situations, and the development of the human brain is a good example. As the reptilian brain - at the level of eat or be eaten - evolved over millions of years to include mammalian - caring and family concern - the new capacities were looped back to the reptilian, thereby supplementing the basics from which the new mammalian would grow. Then one day, looking at the sculpture again, the intuition came, and it was obvious. There was one piece of root, but two figures rising out of it. And the theme was evident. A mother is nurturing its infant, and on a different scale, the child the mother. Looping was in action, and in addition, the piece represented the classic wisdom of the many as one and one as many, both simultaneously. This experience of discovery left me with such an indelible insight into the world and its workings that I didn’t feel that the sculpture was mine, but rather it existed through me. I was its transforming instrument, and its transformative experience needed to be shared. Hillsides seemed to be an ideal site for this purpose, and when I offered it to them, it was immediately accepted. Joe, the man who heads Hillsides was very gracious in thanking me. I felt I should be thanking him for giving Nurturing a home.
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 21:44:19 +0000
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