Contemporary marble sculpture is work made in stone today by a living sculptor, and Are You Looking Up by Zak Stevens is one such piece, available to buy at £8,000. It is carved by hand in white marble and finished in gold kintsugi, and it is offered as a single work: a tall figure, a small companion and a carved marble plinth.
An old material, approached now
Marble has been carved for thousands of years, from the temples and statues of ancient Greece and Rome to the figures of the Renaissance. Much of that tradition aimed at a complete, idealised likeness of the body.
Contemporary work in the same material tends to ask different things of it. It may abstract the figure, leave out parts of it, or let the character of the stone, its veining and its flaws, become part of what the work is about. The material is ancient; the decisions made with it belong to the present.
Are You Looking Up
Zak Stevens's latest piece sets a tall female form above a small companion figure at the back of the plinth, who looks up at her. She has a body but no head or arms. He has a head and arms but no body. They complete each other.
Where the stone opened along its natural veins, Stevens finished it in gold kintsugi, leaving the line visible as part of the piece. The figure, companion and carved plinth are sold together for £8,000, and dimensions are available on request.
Choosing contemporary marble sculpture
A piece of contemporary marble sculpture is a long-term companion in a room or garden, so it repays some thought before buying. Some stone objects today are cut by computer-controlled machines from a digital model, and some are produced in editions. Neither is wrong, but it is worth knowing which you are looking at.
The questions below apply to any work in the category, whoever made it.
- Was it carved by hand, cut by machine, or a mixture of the two
- Is it a single original or one of an edition
- How has the sculptor responded to the particular block of stone
- Does the form hold up from every side, not only the front
- Will its scale sit well in the space you have in mind
The workshop and the process
Zak works in an open-sided timber workshop beneath a clear roof, with a chain hoist for lifting stone and grinders on the wall. The block is drilled, the figure is drawn on in pencil, and the grinder takes the form down. From there, the surface is worked with abrasives of increasing fineness until it is smooth to the touch.
Nothing is cast or moulded, and no cut can be taken back. No two blocks are alike, and the colour and veining of each stone carry through into the finished work.
Living with a piece in marble
White marble responds to light. Its crystals allow light to pass a short way into the surface, which gives the stone a soft glow at its edges, and a low side light from a window or the evening sun shows the form more clearly than flat overhead light.
For anything specific to Are You Looking Up, such as its dimensions, weight or where it might be placed, write to Zak at hello@zakstevens.art. The piece is in Bruton, Somerset, and a viewing can be arranged.
Questions
What is contemporary sculpture?
Contemporary sculpture is three-dimensional work made by artists working today. It can use any material, from traditional stone and bronze to newer ones, and often treats the figure more freely than earlier traditions did.
Is marble still used in sculpture today?
Yes. Marble remains a material many sculptors choose because it can be carved in fine detail and polished to a smooth surface. Are You Looking Up is a recent example, carved by hand in white marble.
Are modern marble sculptures carved by machine?
Some are, in part or in full, using machines guided by a digital model. Others are carved by hand. If it matters to you, ask the maker directly. Zak Stevens carves by hand, and nothing in his work is cast or moulded.
How do I buy sculpture directly from the artist?
Write to the artist, ask about the piece, its price and a viewing, and agree delivery before payment. To enquire about Are You Looking Up, email hello@zakstevens.art.