Background

The hand-carved stone sculpture, Archimedes, captures the essence of the owl through smooth, abstract form. Crafted entirely from a single piece of rose and green colored Alabaster, the piece utilizes the stone's natural beauty as a defining element. The form is distilled to its most fundamental and elegant lines - the subtle curve of the head, the gentle swell of the body, and the quiet poise of the perch. The lack of detailed feathers or features emphasizes a connection to pure, minimalist design, focusing the viewer on the overall shape and the play of light across the flawless surface. The multicolored stone is critical to the piece's character, with soft veins of rose Alabaster flowing organically into deep, mottled greens, suggesting the transitions of nature - perhaps the colors of twilight or a moss-covered branch - and giving the sculpture a profound sense of antiquity and geological history.

Inspiration and the Name Archimedes
The inspiration behind naming the owl Archimedes lies in the connection between the owl's symbolic wisdom and the concept of profound, sudden insight (Eureka!). The owl has long represented keen perception, the ability to see clearly through darkness, and intellectual depth. By naming this silent, watchful figure after the great Greek mathematician and inventor, the sculpture becomes a homage to the "Eureka moment" - the flash of genius that reveals an essential truth.

The abstract, simplified form of the owl embodies this pure insight. It is not distracted by the complexities of the physical world but is instead a vessel for knowledge. Just as Archimedes sought the elegant, complex laws underlying the visible world, this carving captures the smooth, underlying beauty of nature's design, using the rose and green Alabaster to remind us that even the most abstract truths are rooted in the beautiful reality of the earth.

Material Alabaster
Size 11H x 7W x 6D
Gallery Thames River Gallery