Exploring The Liberty Collection: Marble Sculptures Unveiled

THE COLLECTION SERIES / Series 4

The Liberty Collection Portfolio, Part 2

~ Colorado Yule Marble ~ 4 Carvings ~ by Martin Cooney

During the early summer of 2015, fortune smiled on me to the point that I was at last able to continue my COLLECTION SERIES Marble Sculptural Journey, with the delivery of a huge three-ton block of Colorado Yule Marble to the Martin Cooney Stoneworks, a lovely old red brick light industrial building located in the rolling Flint Hills of east Kansas. And as a result of its address, 121 Liberty Lane, Council Grove KS, it soon became known as ‘The Liberty Building’: hence the first collection to be carved within it was to be known forever as ‘The Liberty Collection’.

I had plenty of options governing just what I would do with the slab, but I couldn’t resist the urge to slice off a corner and simply test the marble, before I got too carried away. For one thing, it had been quite a long time since I had sunk my tools into a piece of marble (sadly, way too long), but the long wait was quite obviously over, and so I split off a small corner of the slab in order to carve a test piece, so that I could adequately assess the mysterious block and, well, get my confidence back (if I’m honest) for the task ahead … the moment of truth, as it were.

~ Please click on a photo to enlarge ~

~ The Liberty Slab pops out The Liberty Bowl ~

Well, the ‘test piece’ turned out to be (what else?) The Liberty Bowl, of course! All went well, and the marble turned out to be of a most remarkable bright whiteness I had seldom encountered before. It even held within its bed a subtle greenish hue – again, of a mysterious quality I had never anticipated. So, you could say that all went well and my little primary experiment set the stage for the exciting collection to come.

But having carved the first sculpture of the new Liberty Collection – THE COLLECTION SERIES’ fourth addition, I then decided to split the slab in two, directly down the middle of the long side, creating a half-way point.

A large block of stone, split in half, resting on wooden pallets in a workshop setting. A hammer is placed on top of the stone.

Two large blocks of stone with a visible crack in the middle, accompanied by a hammer resting on top.

~ The Liberty Slab is spit in Two ~ Part One, left ~ Part Two, right ~

I chose this strategy as I wanted to create a distinct marker as to delineate the point where I felt I would know the slab so well that I would then enter a ‘second phase’ – whereby I would be stretching the knowledge gained during Part One to new heights during the carving of Part Two. For, the better I know the marble, the more I am able to challenge and coax it towards ever demanding limits. And as I write this, I am about to post ‘Feeding Frenzy’, Part Two’s fourth sculpture. And at this point I am exploring vertical possibilities focusing upon a light airy sculpture, slender column and anchoring plinth centered on a small, well contained footprint. But that is just the general direction – what happens once I commit my ‘Splitting with Purpose’ Direct Method strategy to the whims of ‘The Spirit of the Stone’ is another matter. For, as I always say, I don’t enforce my ideas upon the marble, so much as form an alliance with it – so quite anything is possibly going to show up, and I’m as interested as anyone to see just what will come about once I split my way through another one-and-a-half tons of some of the finest white marble …. The world has to offer.

And so, with perhaps, who knows, up to 21 more carvings on the way? These are happy days, indeed; some of the happiest days of my life, in fact.

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THE LIBERTY COLLECTION, PART 2

PORTFOLIO GALLERY

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~ Please click on an image to enlarge ~

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~ Windward ~

No. 26:Windward, Web Page Link

~ The Liberty Collection ~ Part 2 ~

Series 4 ~ COLLECTION SERIES MARBLE SCULPTURE: No. 93, by Martin Cooney ~

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~ Diamondhead ~

No. 27: Diamondhead, Web Page Link

~ The Liberty Collection ~ Part 2 ~

~ Series 4 ~ COLLECTION SERIES MARBLE SCULPTURE: No. 94, by Martin Cooney ~

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~ Tripledrops ~

No. 28: Tripledrops, Web Page Link

~ The Liberty Collection ~ Part 1 ~

~ Series 4 ~ COLLECTION SERIES MARBLE SCULPTURE: No. 95, by Martin Cooney ~

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~ Feeding Frenzy ~

A modern abstract sculpture with smooth curves and pointed edges, displayed against a softly lit backdrop with draped fabric.

No. 29: Feeding Frenzy, Web Page Link

~ The Liberty Collection ~ Part 2 ~

~ Series 4 ~ COLLECTION SERIES MARBLE SCULPTURE: No. 96, by Martin Cooney ~

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~ To be continued ~

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New Liberty Collection Series Marble Sculpture is being created on a weekly basis, and so much more is to follow. I am currently six carvings into the second phase, or Part Two of this, my fourth and latest series in my COLLECTION SERIES Marble Sculpture Portfolio. So believe me … there is plenty more to come.

~ Please click on a link to enlarge ~