Studio Sem

2007 Robert Frost sculpture installed at Amherst College

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After the enlargement, Penelope completed a plaster version of just Frost’s head -- to scale. Then she invited three different studios to compete for the final carving assignment by doing a rendering of the head -- also to scale. We saw all three versions (which though based on the same model, were quite different) and spent considerable time with Keara McMartin, an American artist and Director of Sem Studio which won the competition.

The final statue is the result of a unique collaborative relationship between the artist, who does the original concept and rendering, and the artisan, who does the actual carving of the granite (which is being dug at this moment in Zimbabwe). Following Penelope’s model, an artisan at Sem Studio does a rough-hewn rendering of the work. Late next winter, Penelope will return and work closely with that artisan to finish the sculpture. We saw this close relationship with other artist and artisan pairs at work at the Sem Studio. I suspect this is the defining moment -- when their combined creative energies come together on the final piece. That will be going on next spring.
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