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Dog Alabaster 6.5”x 3.5”x 9.5”
DUCKIE RUCKENSTEIN
Duckie Ruckenstein’s unique works capture the essence
of classical sculpture and update it with a contemporary
visuality. Building on the timeless traditions of the Italian masters,
Ruckenstein shows that a true artist really breathes life into stone
through an intimate and interactive process.
Ruckenstein began making art in the mediums of oil, charcoal
and pastel painting and clay and wire sculptures. However, she
sought to infuse her works with more dimension and depth than
any of these mediums would allow. Upon visiting the Academia
in Florence, she saw Michelangelo’s David, the work that would
transform her as an artist. She studied the work astutely, returning
time and again to learn its nuances and gradations. She followed
this with a study of Irving Stone’s novel, the Agony and the
Ecstasy, where Michelangelo and this work are described at
length. She was captivated by the process of carving marble,
studying human anatomy in great detail, and learning to think
and feel like a sculptor at work. She had discovered her medium.
Before beginning a work, Ruckenstein studies the raw stone
intensely, waiting for its hidden inner subject to reveal itself and
emerge organically. She wants to convey this subject first, and
her facility with stone second. Carving the base and the subject
from the same stone, she gives pieces a seamless fluidity and
grace. She exacts every vein of the stone to match the anatomy
of the creature and in so doing conveys an incredible level of
biographical detail about her subject. By the time she polishes
each stone to a glossy sheen it is infused with life, be it that of a
sprightly young canine or a musing stallion mid-stride. Originally
from the Philippines, Ruckenstein now resides in Canada.
Website: www.Art-Mine.com/ArtistPage/Duckie_Ruckenstein.aspx
Zodiac Table Alabaster 33”x 39.5”
Duckie Working in Her Studio
41 ArtisSpectrum