Author: Jessie Glass

Flowers of Steel

“Originally trained as a painter, my fascination with sculpture began during my stay in London when the atmosphere and the light became colder and less vibrant for me. This was a drastic change from the warmth and brightness of Israel where I grew up. Unlike in my paintings, repetition became a recurrent theme in my three dimensional works.

My traumatic experiences during the Holocaust where both my parents were killed left me with a lost childhood, and these early experiences affected my approach to art.  Perhaps the most influential event in more recent years to  shape the evolution of my art was the death of my 19 year old son in Israel’s war with Lebanon (1982).  This difficult loss caused me to refocus on my feelings about the Holocaust and to create sculpture that was more symbolic. I believed that survival relied on strength and clarity, and that survivors should not be viewed as victims but as the underpinning for new life and renewal. I began constructing pieces where I used repetition (usually six figures with each representing one million souls) and sharply defined forms to convey the strength and unity that has emerged from the death of the six million.  Sometimes the six forms stand separately and sometimes they are attached so that they emerge as one unique creation. In some sculptures, each of the six forms is painted with a different bright color which seduces even very young viewers to become engaged with the work. These vibrant colors also symbolize hope and highlight the fact that each of the six million were unique individuals.

Repetition of a form continues to be an integral element of my work.   Using different colors, shapes and materials, I try to communicate my sense of how omnipresent repetition is in all aspects of life. In order to make my work more accessible to the  broad public–both young and old–I also often use interaction and playful themes as tools to break down barriers.

My belief in the importance of the survival of all people continues to be the inspiration for new works.”

— Ephraim Peleg

Aeolus

Aeolus is the the Greek god associated with the wind.

The two pieces move independently with the slightest breeze.

Oh Sit (Still)

A kinetic artwork to reminisce the mother-child experience. Her children were very active and athletic growing up.  She was proud of them for this energy, but also frustrated when it came time to attend a gallery/museum opening, riding on a bus, getting books at the library or social events requiring one to sit still. This art is as a flower blowing in the wind.

PEACE TALK

Photo by Allan Cyprys

I make art from found and commercial materials, giving them the look of distress, fracture and abandonment. This approach helps me reflect on conditions of struggle often faced by many who cannot speak for themselves.  It is my hope that one day we can all put our differences aside and live in peace.

Blue Cube

“This sculpture stands out in any environment, bringing an inner sense of balance and serenity. It allows one thing to recede and another to emerge. Everything in balance to another.” – Lenny Harrington

Peace, Love, and Happiness

MAN AND WOMAN

Sculpture for Leonia was gifted with these 2 sculptures made by renowned artist William King, who lived in East Hampton, NY, for 33 years, and died in 2015. He is known for depicting a sense of humor through his minimalist sculptures. His work has been acquired by many major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum in NYC.

Grounds for Sculpture was his fabricator for large commissioned pieces and aluminum was his favorite metal. These pieces are made of painted aluminum and are thought to be from the 1970’s.They were generously donated by Michael Rips and Sheila Berger.

William King was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1925, and grew up in Coconut Grove, Miami. After attending the University of Florida between 1942 and 1944, he came to New York in 1945, enrolling that year at Cooper Union and graduating in 1948. The following year he went to Rome on a Fullbright scholarship. He also spent time in Athens, Greece, and in 1952, at the Central School in London. Beginning in 1953 he taught for three years at the Brooklyn Museum Art School, and later he taught at UC Berkeley, and elsewhere. He served as the President of the National Academy of Design, 1994-1998. In 2003, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters,

King’s earliest one-person shows were with the Alan Gallery, New York, beginning in 1954, and he continued to show in New York through 2014. The majority of his New York exhibitions were with the Terry Dintenfass Gallery, 1962-1997. He received awards from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts Individual Artist Grant, the San Francisco Arts Commission Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sculpture, and Honorary Doctorates from the San Francisco Art Institute, the California College of Arts and Crafts, and the Corcoran School of Art, Washington D.C.William King lived with his wife, the painter Connie Fox, in East Hampton, New York, for 33 years; he died in 2015, one week after his 90th birthday.

SOFT CHAIR

Photo by Allan Cyprys

This is based on a “Presider Chair” design that was originally commissioned and executed in 2000. The original design was modified so that some of the sections appear to be melting.

Past Works

PORTAL

‘Portal‘, made of pine and finished with marine varnish, measures 30” x 24” x 72” (h).  The work suggests nature’s reclamation of an abandoned gate.

“WHAT IS IT?”

Photo by Allan Cyprys

The title references a famous Koan (riddle) in Zen Buddhist practice. The meditating figure, made of many tiny bells, hangs seemingly in midair, surrounded by prayer flags.

Past Work

LIKE A FLASH OF LIGHTNING IN A SUMMER CLOUD

In bright sunlight, the grey shadows cast from the cutout red plastic above seem so 3-dimensional. When it’s overcast the cutout flower shapes are very readable as solid form

CRICKETS’ HEARTS AND FLOWERS

Photo by Allan Cyprys

A whimsical interpretation of flowers sprouting from its bulb. When viewing the pieces from different angles, complex geometric line drawings are created by the legs connected by unique forged steel flower fasteners.

Past Works

LINKS TO NATURE

I use relics in my sculpture Links to Nature to suggest such imagery as the flight path of a bird, a sliding over flowers snake, a busy bug…

THE THRONE

Photo by Allan Cyprys

I wanted to represent power. Power that certain individuals within a society have gained through birthright or through a person’s own determination to achieve control and authorlty to rule.

Past Works

THE TALL FLOWER

The Tall Flower is a geometric structure made of wood.  It is stained with bright colors, similar to the flowers you would find in a garden.