In 2007 I visited my daughter Allison while she was studying abroad in Madrid. We went to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía where I was introduced to a sculptor named Pablo Gargallo. I had never heard of him before, but was blown away by his work. In fact, when I came home I enrolled for my first ever sculpture class because of that experience. On Point, my first work in stainless steel, is a direct result of this encounter with the Spanish sculptor.
This sculpture was initially conceived as a direct observational piece along the lines of previous sculptures I’ve created, such as Eve, but the more I worked with my model Natalia, the more interested I became in reducing the pose down to its essential lines and forms. The result of that investigation is the abstraction you see here. (click here to see more pictures)
This edition of the sculpture is 27″ tall including the granite plinth, but my goal is to produce this as a 6-foot sculpture suitable for a private garden or a public space. Hopefully with the help of a private or public arts commission I can realize this dream. If you know of someone that may be interested, please let me know at art@paulkroner.com
I had a lot of help in making this piece come to life. My nephew Matthew Kroner, who is a very talented industrial designer and a principal of Fire & Bone, assisted me with some 3D rendering and prints to help me flush out the details. And my good friend from Cheviot, Ohio, Joe Deluco, worked with me to fabricate the final product.
“Standing Abstract” is an open edition and is available for purchase if you or someone you know is interested.
The link below is a video of a number of the earlier iterations (there were about a dozen total) of the piece created in foam core. Music by my brother Mark.