BALANCE
Reduction
by Shray

14" x 4" x 3" (approx)
Ed. 355

I remember this sculpture in my studio — so tall and so sure they were in each other.  My dearest friend, my mom, was still with us then.  A great artist in her own right, she looked at it with me when I thought it was done (like we had done so many times before).  With her gentle but sure voice she said, ”Shray, the form, the line is so perfect except . . .” I looked at her . . . she smiled.

I followed her gaze and she was right, “See,” she said, “just take off one inch on the man’s ribs and you will have done well.”

I took the clay off and the sculpture was changed,  the balance was perfect now.  I turned to her, the look of fulfillment, such a smile, I remember on her face, she was still a great artist despite her illness that had taken half her sight.  Thanks, mom, what a gift you left me.

She named it “Balance”

 

While I was creating my new "Artist Nostalgia" series, I was invited by the Olympic Committee to participate in the 2008 Olympics Scuopture Competition.

At the time, I was re-creating "As One" in a smaller size. The parents in "As One" holding a new born baby in the air in celebration, inspired me to the ultimate creation "Raising Tomorrow's Olympic Champions."

In my mind, this monumental piece would become an interactive sculpture that encourages children to honor their parents and participate in future Oympics. The parents in my Olympics piece would become older and the child would be taking its first steps toward the Olympic competition.