Prairie Twist / Web Page / COLLECTION SERIES MARBLE SCULPTURE by Martin Cooney / For Sale

Posted on July 23, 2025February 28, 2026 by Martin Cooney, Stone Sculptor

COLLECTION SERIES MARBLE SCULPTURE

Carved by MARTIN COONEY

Prairie Twist / $8,400 / The Liberty Collection / Colorado Yule Marble

9.5 x 10 x 23.5″ / 52 lbs / SN250602

Currently Displayed at The Martin Cooney STONEWORKS

121 Liberty Street, Council Grove, Kansas 66846

Please email martincooneysculptor@gmail.com for purchase information

‘Prairie Twist’

‘Prairie Twist’ arrived within The Liberty Collection as the 5^th carving at a time when I was not only beginning to fully understand the true nature of the incredibly white slab of Colorado Yule Marble, but also when the influence of my new surroundings here in the Flint Hills of Kansas was beginning to take hold and steer my sculptural journey. Just as the tall, jagged Elk Mountain peaks had worked their way into the creative process as I carved the first three Collection Series Marble Sculptures Collections in Woody Creek, deep within the Rocky Mountains, so too this new and unfamiliar land of tall grass, gentle rolling hills and fields of amber waves of grain was making itself very at home in the back of my mind.

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And so it was with a great deal of satisfaction that a rough block of all most perfect proportions split off from The Liberty Slab in such a manner that it immediately provoked the idea of creating a carving, the seed of which, had been formed many years earlier. I was sipping coffee in the delightful plaza of Pietrasanta, Italy, close to the Carrara marble quarries that I had travelled from Colorado to examine and explore. It was a fleeting moment, but in that instance, I beheld a vision that lingered in my mind, for some reason, way longer than fleeting moments have a right to do.

Please click on an image to expand.

Close-up view of a block of Colorado Yule Marble with a visible crack and carved edges, showcasing the texture and color of the stone.

A block of Colorado Yule Marble, with a hammer resting on top and metal wedges inserted into the cracks, indicating the stone carving process.

‘Prairie Twist’ rough block.

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In fact, I vowed right there to carve the exquisite ‘twist’ that a young woman performed while, presumably, looking to pick out the person she was talking to on her phone – most likely sat somewhere amongst the many outdoor café that line the square. But in her absent-minded twist she perfectly iconified the spirit of youth, beauty and dexterity that to the astute observer makes ‘people-watching’, especially in such places as a beautiful Tuscan town, so very rewarding. For if Russian composer, Dmitri Shostakovich, quite rightly described football (soccer) as “the ballet of the working class” (if you simply take away the ball), then often unbeknownst to the performer, people in public often twist, squeeze and style themselves into quite lovely, nimble and inventive shapes for all the world to see. And the ‘Pietrasanta Twist’ perhaps – hopefully – exemplifies this aspect of human behavior, perfectly.

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A young woman standing in a plaza, holding a phone while wearing a denim jacket and pink sneakers, with café tables and people in the background.

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Now, unfortunately, the prospect of carving such a delicate pose ‘in the round’ was quite out of the question – those tender ankles and slim calves would not lend themselves to the rigors of carving … in marble. Believe me. So, a prop was required to lend structural integrity to such slender form. And that’s where the tall grass came in. Tuscany meets Kansas.

Besides, the twist in the photograph was what I was trying to emphasize. From front or back it would be the same. So why not transfer the very public Italian square for a very private American moment, as the young woman takes time for reflection amidst the rolling hills and waving grass … becoming part and parcel of the scene that engulfs her … feeling the breeze stir the stalks, hearing the sound of silence and bathing in the serenity of the moment? Because that is what I am portraying here. A quiet moment of reflection.

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The twist itself has morphed somewhat from that of its inspiration, but I just thought it made more sense and created a more intriguing form than that of the Pietrasanta twist. Although I do maintain plans to carve its likeness one day too, but necessity demands that it be in bas relief, not in the round, and that will mean limestone, as marble doesn’t do bas relief too well – the definition being too marginal as to obscure the details and muddy the edges. Bas relief requires deep shadowing which marble’s light translucence fights to diffuse.

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The carving process went well enough, but it was very slow going. All-in-all though, I was pleased with the result. The young woman’s face in Pietrasanta, I never saw, so I was free to interpret her whichever way I wished. Therefore, I tilted her face back … just so. Closed her eyes. Relaxed her mouth and let her sink deep within herself, within her thoughts, within a waving stand of grass.

A marble sculpture titled 'Prairie Twist' by Martin Cooney, depicting a young woman with a serene expression, resting her chin on her arms, set on a textured base.

Close-up view of a marble sculpture titled 'Prairie Twist' by Martin Cooney, depicting a woman in a thoughtful pose with flowing hair.

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The yellowy color was necessary to distinguish the girl from the stalks, because without it the white of the marble blended the whole carving into one structure. It was achieved by applying several light coats of tung oil, which dried to a permanent dappled hue. It was a rather extreme course of action and one I have never resorted to before, but it worked pretty well, to the point that it is hard to recall it ever not being a crucial part of the sculpture’s finished form

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One important point though: in this case, the front is definitely the back, in that her face was never revealed to me in Pietrasanta and so the twist IS the carving. Personally, I like her facing off into the distance, perhaps with the sun on her face as if its early in the morning, with her ample Italian scarf bunched up around her neck to fend off the last of the chill night air as she greets the Prairie dawn.

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You can place ‘Prairie Twist’ wherever you feel inclined as she is not really ‘site specific’, like some of my carvings. She comes with a rather large plinth; shallow but very wide indeed. So, she is quite sturdy and will not tip, no matter what. She’s also a remarkably weather proof figurine, enduring rain, sleet, snow, burning sun, freezing wind with impunity. It’s up to you where you put her. But if you were to ask her, I am sure she would let you know that somewhere peaceful, quiet and tranquil would suit her best.

Please click on an image to enlarge.