Stories in the stone, sculpture in a New England Garden United States

Submitted by Andy B on Thursday, 20 July 2006 Page Views: 2308

Country: United States Like many Irish schoolchildren, Karin Stanley first saw the Bronze Age tomb Newgrange on a grade school trip to its site in County Meath. But unlike her classmates, Stanley would find herself returning time and again to marvel at the ancient stone walls and the mysterious 5,000-year-old carvings they harbored.

Eventually, she would begin seeking out other megaliths, learn to decipher their symbols, and immerse herself in Celtic history as well. Then she began something she calls ''Celtic stealing or borrowing."

''I've always been in arts and design and, about 12 years ago, I decided I wanted to create these sort of large, monoliths myself . . . I wanted to invoke the idea of the ancient elements of stone as a place marker, so I made one," she said.

Stanley said that all she really ''stole" was an age-old idea.

So began Stanley's life as a sculptor. Today, you can often find her in the studio in her South Natick home, where she shapes massive rocks into sculptures inspired by the stonework of the past.

Through Oct. 15, her work can be seen in Framingham as part of ''Rock On! Celebrating Stone in the Garden," featuring 37 stone sculptures by eight New England artists set amid the wildflowers and streams at Garden in the Woods.

''I like the idea of stone as something that people have been working on for thousands of years in a similar way," said Stanley. ''I'm also fascinated by Celtic patterns , and I like the idea of a modern interpretation."

Stanley merges all three of these interests in her work. Neolithic triple spirals (believed by some to stand for the death-life-rebirth cycle) are carved onto stone spheres. Words written in the ogham alphabet used by the Druids are etched onto stone pillars. Celtic symbols cover an ancient-looking sundial pierced by a shiny modern rod. Waves of polished steel play against the rough rock of a monolith, creating what Stanley calls ''vertical water."

''So what looks sort of abstract actually has a lot of meaning to it," she explained 1/8. ''I like the story in the stone. I like the journey in the stone. . . . I spend a lot of time looking for the right stone and then, when I find it, I have a sense of what I'm going to do with it."

More: The Boston Globe

Contributor Bio for Andy B: Megalithic Portal Founding Editor.

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