Claire McArdle
Sculpture requires equilibrium and balance. There is a critical point that I strive for in each piece I create. Through the process of working with my hands, tools, and materials, the physical merges with the transcendent state of the creative process…beyond time and space. The physical and spiritual harmonize. The work is complete, and I begin again. – Claire McArdle
My interest in art and mythology began as a child. I was inspired by the artifacts from early civilizations including sculptures of animals and the human form dating back to 38,000 bce. They are timeless treasures that continue to have a strong aesthetic in contemporary time. My impulse to create sculpture from the earth satisfies an urge deep within my psyche and a connection with other humans past and present.
Drawn to the art and artifacts from prehistoric and the ancient world, I have recognized the cross-cultural similarities abound in the archetypes and symbolism in art binding us together as one species, with common ancestors. The symbolism created by artists, therefore, connects us through the arts. In my process, I explore the experiences of human emotion, our connection to the land, animals and the divine. The female torso, a common theme, sculpted in marble, terra cotta and bronze honors the sanctity of feminine archetypes.
I have an insatiable passion to work in a subtractive method in both clay and marble. My figurative works emerge from the block as a representation of the feminine and a sensuousness that both females and marble share. I strive to create a harmony between the ethereal form with the earthly material, leaving evidence of the process with the marks of my hands and tools. Humans have sculpted female torsos in this way since prehistoric times, perhaps in a ritualistic way, to honor the sanctity of the feminine. I also evoke this universal archetype as I aim to create timeless works that resonate with spirituality and connects us to our ancestors.