Feature Articles


March Issue 2000

Craven Allen Gallery in Durham, NC, Presents Works by Andrew Lonon

The Craven Allen Gallery in Durham, NC, will present an exhibit entitled, Short Stories, by Andrew Lonon. The exhibit of sculptures of figures and portraits will open Mar. 12 and continue through Apr. 22, 2000. Lonon compares the works in his show to a collection of tales.

First, the viewer can get a sense of the story of each piece's creation - one can see and even feel how Lonon's hands have carefully shaped and smoothed his materials, creating texture and nuance. And every sculpture reveals something of the person it portrays, a character study with its own plot and resolution. Says Lonon, "Like literary short stories, there is often exaggeration to make a point, or even a surprise ending. Because the story is communicated through form and shape rather than words, the ultimate meaning is subject to the viewer's perception and imagination."

Working from life, Lonon begins with water-based clay formed around a wire armature. Lonon constantly refines each piece from observation of the model, as well as his own vision of the finished piece. "It is at this stage that the character or story of the sculpture comes through. I strive for a high level of anatomical fidelity and detail, but that is second to the rhythm and flow of the sculpture... For both figures and portraits, I look for detail that supports the meaning of the sculpture."

After much finishing work, the piece is ready to be cast. Some pieces are editions, and others are one of a kind, made from a plaster waste mold. Finished sculptures can be in a variety of media, including plaster, cast stone, cast marble, cement or bronze.

A Durham native, Lonon has a BFA with a concentration in sculpture, as well as a BA in History, from the University of North carolina at Greensboro, and has done graduate work at Boston University. His most intensive study has been with Martine Vaugel, former Director of Sculpture at the New York Academy of Art and twice an award winner in the Rodin Grand Prize Exhibition. Lonon is currently a teaching assistant at the Vaugel Sculpture Studio.

For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings or call the gallery at 919/286-4837.

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