Bold & Expressive Female

[Merlion]

I came across a news article and find a picture of an impressive figurative female bronze sculpture. It is by Sassona Norton who, the article says,

"creates larger than life bold and expressive, cast bronze female figures. Her work focuses on components of the body (with a focus on hands), revealing an impressive display of detail and articulation. Her figures serve as an ideal expressive vehicle that truly encompasses human emotions, feelings, thoughts, yearnings and desires."

Click here (http://www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060609/ENT07/606090308/1089/ENT) for the article and the picture.

(The only thing I'm not comfortable about this sculpture is her bald head, but others may disagree.)

After a search, I notice Norton is an ISC member who has a portfolio (http://www.sculpture.org/portfolio/sculptorPage.php?sculptor_id=1000950) in the website, with many photos, especially of the expressive hands. Incidenally, all her sculptures shown there have bald heads.

[Landseer]

I agree about the bald heads, I just don't care for human figures period, but the scultures are different from typical, very expressive that's for sure.

[tonofelephant]

I disagree about the shaven head (bald) head. If you consider hair as an accessory - to be curled, cut, braided, etc - then sans hair is interesting.
I think it is a wonderful way to get past the distraction of hair.

Depending on your self image, wearing no hair in men is seen as virile and strong - same for women. Think Yul Brynner and Shinea(sp?)O'Conner (rock singer). It can also be seen as weak and defeated - especially if the state of bald is not freely chosen but inflicted on the person -as in a punishment or a disease.

In this case, your are able to concentrate on the woman of the sculpture without the distraction of hair. I think the sculpture also has the startle value because of the lack of hair. I really like it. This coming from a shaven head abstract stone sculptor who doesn't much care for realism.

carl
www.wsggallery.com

[fritchie]

Thanks for starting this thread. I'll have to admit I wasn't aware of Sassona Norton's work, but I like the figure posted very much. It reminds me of Michelangelo, actually. Probably because of the pose, and the vigorous, though rough, modeling.

[G. Murdoch]

I love the bald head. When I do figurative carving, all of my figures, men, women, and children, are not only bald but faceless as well. There have been exceptions when I have used hair as structural support for the composition. Essentially I view both hair and faces to be distractions from the FIGURE. To evoke emotion strictly from the rendering of anatomy is a challenge. Of course rendering faces and hair are also challenging. The human face is so enormously expressive of emotion, we are so accustomed to being able to tell what someone is feeling by glancing at thier face. Due to a running conversation I have going with several friends in the performing arts (stage actors), I know that it is relatively easy to deceive with facial expressions, however it is much more difficult to "make the body lie. Body language is a more accurate reflection of the true emotional state of a human being than thier facial expression."

Graham

[fused]

Norristown was one of the cities in the United States that were selected to receive a piece of the wreckage of what had been the World Trade Center. One of the I-Beams was given to the city, and a decision was made to have a piece of art prepared with the I-Beam as a centerpiece of the work.

A lot has been going on behind the scenes related to the I-Beam. A selection committee chose a sculptor, Sassona Norton, who saw life and hope, as well as destruction in the twisted piece of metal that ended up in her studio. The I-Beam is barely recognizable as such.

The dedication of the 9-11 Memorial in Norristown, Pennsylvania. September 8, 2005.

image 1 (http://www.blackstormhawk.com/cellar/norristown9-11/911-0018.JPG) - image 2 (http://www.blackstormhawk.com/cellar/norristown9-11/911-0019.JPG) - image 3 (http://www.blackstormhawk.com/cellar/norristown9-11/911-0021.JPG) - image 4 (http://www.blackstormhawk.com/cellar/norristown9-11/911-0023.JPG)

also on Philly Blog (http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/showthread.php?t=10804) and more jpgs on the Philly Blog index (http://www.phillyblog.com/philly/archive/index.php/t-10804.html)

Thankyou for this thread and links Merlion, I wasn't aware of her work or this 9/11 Memorial.

[Merlion]

Thank you Fused for the additional information about Norton's 9-11 Memorial sculpture. It is a very impressive piece of work in many ways, expressing very well a combination of the destruction, the determination and the hope. And the artist's portfolio shows she is an ideal choice for this task of creating the Memorial sculpture.

[JasonGillespie]

Merlion,

Thanks for posting the info on Sassona Norton. Morristown is about five minutes from where I live, but I would never have known about the exhibition of her work.

For my two cents I think the bald head is a great device to create a sense of disquiet. It seems to me to lead the viewer to look beyond the pose or title for meaning. It really enhances the narrative I think.

[Keropian]

It is sad that the figure is lacking in basic anatomy, because I like the composition.