Breaking The Molo

THE ANIMAL SCULPTURES OF GEOFFREY GORMAN AND KEVIN BOX PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF FORM AND MATERIALS IN UNCONVENTIONAL WAYS.

Geoffrey Gorman and Kevin Box approach the sculpture of animals in unique ways, distinct from each other and immediately identifiable as the eir own work in the world of animalier. Unlike the 19th century sculptors of realistic animals, Box and Gorman use unexpected materials to make representations that go beyond and within the recognizable forms.

Box approaches a square blank sheet of white paper in the same way the painter approaches a blank canvas or the composer approaches silence. “The very first pieces I folded had nothing to do with origami,” Box relates. “I was trying to describe the architecture of the soul, the invisible aspects of humanity. What do thoughts look like? What does spirit look like? I folded star patterns working from the blank slate of that square piece of paper. I thought it was much deeper than origami. I finally succumbed, however, and tried to fold the traditional origami crane. I eventually succeeded.”

The crane is thought to live for 1,000 years by the Japanese and is symbolic of hope and healing. Box says the cranes and doves, symbolic of peace, also represent the spirit or “the flutter ring white light that lives within us."

Curious about his first folded crane, he decided to unfold it. Box says, “There was a star inside, just like I had been doing. It was an ‘aha!’ moment. There is the memory in the paper of every crease e that is made to create an animal. It’s symbolic of life. We make choices that determine the outcome. At the end, life unfolds and becomes a star, an accurate record of a life. It was a profound experience for me.”