Michelangelo nearly lost his life moving marble from the Carrara mountains to Rome, and hundreds of labourers he employed risked their lives daily. Rope would snap, stone would fall and men would die. The whole process from selection, to excavation to transportation could take a year or more, and cost ten times more than the marble itself.
Pope Julius the II had authorized Michelangelo to choose the finest stone, and the Master was keen to spend months hand selecting the cuts and pockets to be quarried. Despite having the financial ability to acquire the best marble that the Carrara mountains could produce, imperfections and flaws threatened to surface once his chisel was hammered deep.
Marble counter tops look better when the stone has a ‘marbled’ colour… that is, swirls of varying tones and shades…. This will enhance the appearance in your kitchen…
Veins in the marble can distract the eye
A stone without faults is best, but if they are present (and most affordable stone will have at least one) mapping out the fault line, and then working around them is critical if you don’t want your hard work shearing off in unexpected directions. This has happened to us all and nothing feels worse…. I would rather pummel my thumb then crack my statue along a fault….
Far from the hustle of Denver, and tucked away from the crowds of Aspen there lies the romantic town of Marble Colorado…
A small gathering of homes and half a dozen shops settled into the valley surround by Purple and Snowmass Mountain.
This is the home of North America’s finest white marble.
Sculptors are all aware of the strengths and weakness of stone. Marble can withstand tremendous pressures when compressed, but can flake and split with the finest touch from a hardened tool. Or can snap and crack along fault lines or stress fissures. Bruised stone can leave pockets of tender talc inches deep. If the natural stone presents any of these flaws, the artist's countless hours of applied talent can be wasted.
This is why the selection of marble is critical… long before you can plan your piece or apply your first hammer blow, you need eyeballs on your stone.
Michelangelo loved marble, the crystalline cream, the fleshy supple hue, the battered bakers dust that floats through the air descending on to the studio floor.
He obsessed with choosing the right stone, flawless and cut to size out of the Cararra Mountains.
This is a lesson for us all. Marble is best cut, never blasted, and always hand selected. If you can, personally select your own piece - regardless of the size.
And this is why Marble Colorado is the place for Sculptors… If you love marble this is one of the few places in North America that you can walk on top, and crawl around monumental marble blocks… This is where stone is sawed using diamond cable blades. Marble is what they know, and I was very fortune to select my stone with the help from Janice of Colorado Stone Quarries...
This is were our journey begins.
Randall
Michelangelo’s Pieta set the standard for sculptural excellence in his depiction of Mother Mary and the crucified Christ. A marble masterpiece of detail and precision.
However, over the millenia, the meaning of Pieta has grown from the traditional forms found in Oil and Stone to a more vibrant purpose of life reflected in art that reveals our true purpose.
Pieta is now the term of art that is best suited to express Love.
This new site will examine how the Pieta has come to influence so many over the centuries. And will document my own attempt to carve this Pieta in the spirit of our generation.
Using white marble cut from the great mountains of Colorado, I will saw, hammer, chip and carve unforgiving stone in a humble attempt to bring love to life from something hard and cold.
So bookmark this page, and follow with me… I have no idea if I will succeed or fail… Will there be a new Pieta for us to adore? Or, tons of Pieces on my studio floor.
Randall
