Alanna Roth
"The simple pleasures in life, feeling the sun on my face, the wind in my hair, listening to a seashell, blowing on a dandelion…these are the things that have provided the most pleasure in my life. I seek to capture those special moments in my art. As children we were naturally aware of the wonder and magic of life. As adults many of us lose this ability. It is my hope to inspire the viewer to reconnect with the inner child and ignite the imagination once again.
The small size of my pieces makes the clarity of details, especially the facial features, difficult to attain. During the process of wax and metal casting these important details can be lost and the essence of the work diminished. I choose to do the detail work personally throughout the casting process to ensure none of the power of the original work is lost in translation. Due to the amount of time spent on each piece, I keep the edition sizes small to ensure that the collector is getting the highest quality work with each casting.
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Although I pay close attention to detail, I do not overly embellish my work. The power lies in its emotional presence. The flow of the piece as the eye moves around it depends on careful attention to negative space. Each bend of limb, tilt of head, and twist of back is deliberately calculated to maximize the visual and emotional impact of the piece. These subtle touches have the power to make or break a piece and the bulk of my time is spent in making sure they are just right. Making an anatomically correct figure is only the beginning for me. I have seen many a sculpture perfect in form but devoid of spirit. The real magic happens when an artist is able to infuse the work with a spark that brings the piece to life and keeps it fresh with each viewing." - Alanna Roth
Biography
"I was born in North Dakota the middle child in a family of nine. My family moved to Malibu in southern California when I was three. The beauty of nature was all around me and had a profound effect on my life. I developed a love of beauty and a desire to understand the nature of life. The influence of these early years led to my choice to study both art and biology in college. I received my degree in 1985 with a major in Biology and a minor in art. It had been my intention to continue on to medical school and practice art as a hobby but shortly before graduating I enrolled in a ceramics class which was to change the course of my life forever. Working with clay provided a hands-on, physical element that was new and exciting to me. Clay was malleable and forgiving and had the potential to be just about anything. As soon as my hands touched clay, all thoughts of being a doctor faded. So began my artistic career. I spent the first 15 years creating abstract sculptural vessels. At the height of my professional success I began to feel restless. I felt the need to communicate deeper emotions than abstract art was capable of expressing. I was definitely ready for a change
The passing of close friend of the family in 1999 was the catalyst that prompted the change I had been seeking. I completed my first piece as a memorial to him. Though I had never done a representational sculpture before my background in clay and my knowledge of human anatomy made my first representational sculpture a success. Through a series of serendipitous events, this memorial statue was cast in bronze and presented to then Secretary General Kofi Anan to represent the Roots of Peace organization in the United Nations building. This opportunity opened the doors to galleries and collectors but I had had no formal training in figurative sculpture did not feel ready to market my work. I chose instead to immerse myself in the study of classical figurative sculpture for the next five years. During this time I traveled to
Italy to study at the International School of Art in
Umbria as well as attending workshops with master sculptors, John Coleman, Lincoln Fox, Don Gale, Eugene Daub and Cristina Mikulasek.
The most important lesson I have learned from my formal training is that technique alone may help one create perfect form but it can’t bring a piece to life. I have found that emotional honesty with oneself is necessary before one can transfer that essence into ones work. This is not a technique that can be learned from another, it must come from within the artist. It is this essence that transforms a lifeless object into living work of art." - Alanna Roth
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