Joseph

Joseph (steel) 18″ x18″ x 22″
Base (wood) 17″ x 17″ x 17″

Why would anyone name this contemporary sculpture “Joseph?” I reference the father of Jesus.

Statues of the sainted Joseph are frequently saccharine, often in plaster, sometimes plastic, and almost always of a Caucasian.

I have juxtaposed a saw blade, wood, and steel. My effort is to make a piece that is representative of the man, one that has its own beauty while representing a workman that has strength of character. Surely this image of the man is no less accurate, and hopefully more captivating, than a plastic statue.

The massive saw blade is discarded industrial waste. The wood was found among the fallen piñon trees in the hills surrounding Santa Fe. Together these seemingly unrelated discarded pieces make a statement…as does the life of the man named Joseph about whom we know little.