Tipping Point / Web Page / COLLECTION SERIES MARBLE SCULPTURE by Martin Cooney / For Sale

Posted on January 4, 2026March 23, 2026 by Martin Cooney, Stone Sculptor

Tipping Point / For Sale / The Liberty Collection /

Colorado Yule Marble / 17 x 9 x 21″ / 64 lbs / SN251201

Currently Displayed at The Martin Cooney STONEWORKS

121 Liberty Street, Council Grove, Kansas 66846

Please email martincooneysculptor@gmail.com for sales information

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Abstract sculpture titled 'Tipping Point' made from Colorado Yule marble, measuring 17 x 9 x 21 inches and weighing 64 lbs.

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The inspiration for ‘Tipping Point’ grew from an idea that developed as I carved ‘Lofty Perch’ just two sculptures prior – and what an important and influential piece within the Liberty Collection ‘LP’ has turned out to be. For immediately following ‘Lofty Perch’ came the imposing and quite revolutionary ‘Great Light Owl’, flaunting his vividly translucent eyes and overall lamp-like body. This time around I set my mind to weaving the concept of optical illusion into the delicate balancing act of sculpting a light and airy will-o’-the-wisp creation atop a tall contrasting plinth, in similar fashion to ‘LP’ but less ornately embellished, which at first glance appears as two separate pieces of marble, one finely balanced upon the other. But look closer and no, they are indeed carved of the same block of Colorado Yule Marble, the only immediate evidence being a narrow vertical strip of continuous surface, connecting the two elements at precisely the sculpture’s presumed tipping point!

A sculptural artwork titled 'Tipping Point', made of Colorado Yule Marble, featuring smooth curvilinear shapes that appear to balance delicately atop each other.

Sculpture titled 'Tipping Point' made from Colorado Yule Marble, featuring curvilinear lines and a delicate balancing design.

Please click on a photo to enlarge.

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Without her plinth, ‘Tipping Point’ would make a far lesser statement. But from her lofty perch she simply cannot and will not be ignored – no shrinking violet, this one. She was carved to stand out, to be viewed, and yes, admired from every angle and perspective. I crafted her sweeping Curvilinear lines to be admired fully in the round, so her curves roll and revolve, subtly shapeshifting before your eyes; convex to concave and back in parabolic maneuvers, as though her pristine marble is tempting you to explore, not just with eyes alone, but palms and fingertips too.

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Sublime to the touch – as are all my COLLECTION SERIES Curvilinear Marble Sculptures, you simply haven’t seen her until you have touched, nay, fondly caressed her. She’s a doll, and she knows it. Her curves speak for herself, but that smoothsmooth, smoother than it has any right to be surface IS truly … sublime.

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The carving process was dominated by the rather unusual motive of pursuing a prescribed course of action; that of embellishing a concept fleshed out via a recent carving. And so Direct Method exploration was replaced with Direct Method pursuit of an already established idea. Also, during the splitting process, ‘Lofty Perch’, ‘Light Owl’ and ‘Tipping Point’ were all sourced from essentially the same block within The Liberty Slab – meaning, I had an excellent idea as to the nature and properties of this particular seam of Colorado Yule Marble, and was therefore able to lean into and exploit the beneficial qualities that I already knew lay just under the surface.

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The result being that all three of these pieces, carved in swift succession, share near identical markings, swirls and hues. They have also, inadvertently, identified the path forward for the second half of The Liberty Block, by providing an intriguing avenue of exploration, as the moderately sized, tall proportioned, ‘Standing Stone’ presents itself as a defining element and visually striking feature of The Liberty Collection – the fourth addition to my signature COLLECTION SERIES Marble Sculpture Catalog.

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‘Tipping Point’ proudly takes her place as the 18^th sculpture within The Liberty Collection, and 85^th COLLECTION SERIES marble sculpture in total, as we approach the half-way point in formerly 3-ton Liberty Slab; now weighing in as somewhere near 1,500 lbs. and growing lighter by the week. At this rate, The Liberty Collection should produce somewhere in the region of 40 sculptures in total, bringing THE COLLECTION SERIES Marble Sculpture Catalog up to around 107 carvings in total, thus breaking a century of marble sculptures somewhere along the way.

Please make sure that ‘Tipping Point’ enjoys a central location – an entrance hall would be ideal, a patio perhaps, any larger social room, so she may flaunt her curvaceous curves to full advantage, in the round, preferably. But don’t forget, like all my Curvilinear Marble Sculpture, she is light, portable and carved for full immersion in the real world. Pick her up – simply hold her close to your body and carefully walk her from one vantage point to the next. You, your friends, guests and family will enjoy viewing her under all light conditions and from all angles, so take full advantage of this versatility and relocate her whenever and to wherever you wish. She’ll appreciate strong, direct sun or spot light (of course), a new perspective from time to time, and will reward the eye with her ever shifting luminescence, voluptuous curvature, striking form and intriguing optical illusion.