Story and photos by Greg Crawford
posted
Oct 10, 2012
Stone Revival, Julian Isaacson's gallery and studio, hosted an
open house on October 6 and 7. Julian and his wife Lee Ann Isaacson
were gracious hosts, and they welcomed around 30-40 people over the
course of the weekend. Fresh cider, donuts, and assorted goodies
were served to the joyful visitors.
Isaacson is a gifted sculptor who works in marble and wood. He
also produces tiles molded from his original sculptures. His
business card reads: "Interior & Exterior Hand-carved Imperial
Tiles, Fine Art, & Architectural Enhancements," which covers it
quite succinctly.
Isaacson is a self-taught sculptor born into a family of artists
and musicians, so creativity is deeply imbedded in his genes. As a
youngster, Julian Isaacson originally gravitated toward painting,
but it soon became apparent that he was colorblind. Makes painting
rather problematic. Thus it was that he found his creative outlet
through sculpture.
Sculpture is not an undertaking for those seeking instant
gratification. Freeing an image from the surrounding stone takes
time and patience. Lots of time and patience, and the techniques
for doing so have not changed all that much for thousands of years.
Just like the long-forgotten sculptors of Mesopotamia, the masters
of the human form from the Greek Hellenistic period, and
Michelangelo, Julian Isaacson uses mallets, chisels, and rasps to
create his masterpieces. Interestingly, he says that wood, in some
ways, is the more challenging medium. Different woods respond to
the sculptor's chisel in different ways. A sculptor must modify his
techniques to accommodate the specific characteristics of the wood
beneath his hand. Many different woods are represented in the
relief sculptures on the walls of his gallery.
But Mr. Isaacson really loves to work with marble, which is part
of the reason that he came back to Vermont. He and his lovely wife,
Lee Ann, lived on the 'Left Coast' for many years, both in
California and in the Pacific Northwest. Eventually, he decided
that, instead of bringing the mountain to Julian one or two rocks
at a time, it made more sense to bring Julian to the mountains from
whence came the source of his livelihood. A friend told him of the
late Bill Gilderdale's old gun shop on Route 100 in Stockbridge, a
deal was struck, and Julian set up shop.
Isaacson has a particular affinity for bas-relief sculpture, and
many of his panels tell a story, or at least suggest that there is
a story behind the image. He is also a proponent of what he terms
"functional art." The counter in his gallery consists of three
marble panels, the longest of which is a little over five feet
long, by two feet in height. The triptych depicts an Indian running
through the woods among deer. The top is a single polished slab of
the aforementioned Rochester Verde Antique marble, and the entire
assembly is supported by a custom-made steel frame that allows the
piece to be disassembled, should Lee Ann wish to rearrange the
furniture. The thing must weigh a ton, literally, so it'll probably
stay right where it is for the foreseeable future.
Julian Isaacson is dedicated to making his art accessible to
all. If potential customers have desires that exceed the limits of
their pocketbooks, he will work with them to find a balance
agreeable to all. He also installed a window in the gallery through
which patrons can see his workspace. Children who visit are
fascinated by the fact that hammering on a rock can produce a work
of art.
Look, Mom! An eagle!
The clay tiles that Isaacson casts from molds of his stone carvings
are another way to make his art more available and affordable.
These tiles are also another form of functional art, as evidenced
by the elegant fireplace surround displayed behind his magnificent
counter.
The uninitiated may wonder, where does one begin when sculpting
an image? Surprisingly, it doesn't necessarily begin with a block
of marble, though a piece of marble may sometimes scream, "Carve me
into a poodle!" More frequently, though, that first spark of
inspiration begins its evolution as a sketch, which is refined to
make the most of the particular stone from which it will eventually
emerge.
Once the basic outline of the subject is transferred to the
stone, the sculptor will begin by removing, or "pitching," unwanted
areas, or, anything that is not poodle, with a pitching tool, which
is a heavy chisel that can have a pointed or a broad, blunt end,
depending on how much material is to be removed with any given blow
of the mallet.
Once the general shape of the subject has been roughed out,
smaller chisels are used to refine the details. These may be
toothed, or claw, chisels with multiple cutting edges. As details
are formed, rasps and rifflers further refine subtle shapes like
the folds of fabric, or curls in the locks of hair.
Finally, the piece is finished by polishing. Progressively finer
abrasives, starting with a coarse sandpaper, and ending with an
extra fine emery cloth, will give the sculpture a beautiful sheen
that brings out the color of the marble, and reveals subtle
patterns in the grain. Often, both rough and smooth surfaces are
combined to convey the sense of the varying textures of a single
subject. Now that's one fine lookin' poodle!
You don't need to wait for the next open house to visit Stone
Revival. Visitors are encouraged to drop by to see Julian's work
anytime during business hours. The studio and gallery are located
at 1354 Route 100 in Stockbridge, just a short drive north of
Killington. It is a barn red building on the right, if you're
heading north, next to a 300 year-old maple tree on the edge of a
hay field. For more information, or to make a special appointment,
call 746-8110. You can also visit Stone Revival's website
www.stonerevival.com.
