In my sculptures of dancers I endeavour
to capture,the effort, brevity, pain and exhilaration that is the spirit of flight.
Our western culture uses flight for commerce and escape. Many of our dreams involve
flight to well-deserved rewards and vacations. Early man, and to some degree, the
hunting and gathering people, among whom I have spent time, dream of flight as well.
The spear, arrow, boomerang and dart are the carriers of those dreams, and the well-deserved
reward is the capture of the spirit and the flesh of the beasts of their world.
I view the dance as a metaphor for the endless struggle for transcendence that underlies
so much of human endeavour. In my extensive world travels, I have encountered many
cultures of the so-called first and third worlds. Whether skiing in the Swiss Alps
or working alongside the aboriginals of northern Australia or the northern Yukon
I have always felt a commonality in the dreams and aspirations of all the people
I have encountered.
In my work I combine rough, spontaneous wood construction with the meticulous craftsmanship
of a master carver to create life size sculptures that reflect the dynamism, grace
and pain of the dance.
I feel that I represent Canada in the true spirit of our country. One parent was
a second generation Canadian, the other a refugee. My grandfather was a pioneer on
the prairies. I received my most significant training from a master carver who fled
the oppression of communist Hungary. Like so many of my generation I have traveled
widely, and, I hope, learned deeply from those travels.
My vision is that of the New World, but my skills are a gift from the old.
