Silent Skies by Neil Clifford
Neil Clifford
Having an extensive background as both a dancer and an actor, Neil Clifford has now distinguished himself in the world of sculpture and is recognized as one of Canada's finest. "My art is a celebration and exploration of my relationship with the natural world. I choose subjects and create compositions that have a powerful internal dynamic. As the sculpture evolves, I continue to develop this tension, which I refer to as the 'life force' of the work. This can be seen in the movement of my birds and whales, or by integrating the natural with the man-made in the kayak and granite series." "In the 20 years since I began sculpting, I have traveled to many remote areas in the world, and engaged with artists whose lives and artwork were imbued with a deep connection to the spiritual world of their ancestors and gods. The knowledge that an object of art can have a real relationship to a greater context is essential to my own artistic vision." "While determining form, line and aesthetic, I must also consider the work in the larger realm of its natural and increasingly fragile environment, and affirm our ties to all wild places. My hope is that, through my art, I might stir the viewer¹s spirit, to spur their further exploration into the current predicaments that many of our wild places are faced with." Clifford's work is exhibited throughout North America and Mexico and is held in many private and corporate collections throughout the world. Neil’s love of kayaking, canoeing and trekking through the vast Canadian wilderness is also a major source of inspiration for his art. “The genesis for my new sculptures begins far off the beaten path - immersed in the elements, exposed to the wilds - and ends at the moment of completion in my studio. While on these remote adventures, I come upon special stones that, for me, are storytellers from the dawn of time. With gratitude, great care and effort, I carry them out, these sentinels of an ancient world. I then sculpt kayaks, profiled to fit neatly with the organic shapes of the granite upon which they rest, their surface textures scored and distressed to conjure a symbiotic relationship with the weathered, eroded stone. It is my hope to create a visceral and dynamic union of the natural with the man-made, to manifest potent objects for the viewer that capture the power and splendor of the natural world we exist within”.
Silent Skies
Neil Clifford
Sculpture
12" x 64" x 12"
2013
$23,800
Prices and availability may change without prior notice.
A price quote alone does not constitute a hold on the item.
All items remain property of Granary Gallery until paid in full.
Granary Gallery | 636 Old County Road, West Tisbury, MA 02575 | (508)693-0455 | granarygallery.com