Loss: A Study of Creation and Grief
What can making sculpture teach us about loss?
I found this old post on an old blog and thought sharing would be nice. Since this was initially posted, I have found happiness again and strength I didn’t know I possessed. I don’t struggle much these days and have tried to turn the darkest moments into lessons. I hope that sharing these can help someone else going through what I did a few years ago:
What can the act of creating sculpture teach us about dealing with loss and grief? Both in the finished product and from the process of creation. I am attempting to ascertain that as I embark on this artistic voyage. But first, some background information. In May of 2018, I met a woman who would go on to become my partner. Tragically, in May of 2021, three years to the day we met, she passed away. The tragedy of that loss has defined me since. Every day is still a struggle to put one foot in from the other. Her love of life and art and my fascination with technology have led to LOSS: A STUDY of CREATION and GRIEF.
Metal: Resilience and Strength
Metal is tough, rigid, and often cold to the touch. Working with it demands patience, precision, and sometimes brute force to shape it.
Lesson in Grief: Metal teaches us about resilience and enduring strength. Like grief, it can feel unyielding at first, but with effort and persistence, it becomes malleable, revealing that even the hardest emotions can be reshaped into something meaningful.
Wood: Organic Change and Imperfection
Wood is alive in its texture and grain, carrying its history in knots and growth rings. It’s softer than metal but requires care to carve and shape without splintering.
Lesson in Grief: Wood teaches us to embrace imperfection and organic growth. Grief doesn’t follow a linear path; it’s full of knots and layers, but through patience and understanding, it can be shaped into a reflection of love and memory.
Clay: Flexibility and Transformation
Clay is soft and pliable, easily shaped but just as easily collapsed. It demands a delicate touch and constant mindfulness of moisture and pressure.
Lesson in Grief: Clay represents flexibility and transformation. It reminds us that grief is fluid and changes form over time. While it can feel fragile, it also holds immense potential to become something beautiful with care and creativity.
Plastic: Adaptability and Modernity
Plastic is synthetic, adaptable, and often overlooked as an artistic medium. It can be melted, molded, and recycled, making it versatile.
Lesson in Grief: Plastic teaches adaptability and reinvention. Grief sometimes requires us to adapt to entirely new realities, creating meaning and purpose from the raw, unfamiliar materials left behind.