Suanne Martin
BiographyComing from a small town in Michigan, I received my Bachelor's of Arts degree from Kalamazoo College in 1984. During my studies there I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to study abroad in Munster, Germany, which included extensive traveling in the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern and Western Europe.
It was during this time, having been exposed to the rich diversity of classical sculpture abroad, that I finally chose sculpture as the focus of my studies. However, after graduation I felt my foundational skills in Figurative Sculpting were lacking. Fortunately, I found a mentor and exceptionally skilled sculptor (Jay Holland) at The Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, and studied independently under his tutelage for 3 years, until finally moving to New York City to earn a Master's Degree in Fine Arts in 1991.
Since then, I have worked at various studios in the New York area, as well as Chicago, and New Jersey, and am currently heading the Sculpture Department at the Long Island Academy of Fine Arts, in New York.
Artist StatementMost sculptors have a Nemesis (according to Greek mythology, a "spirit of divine retribution against those who succumb to hubris") against which they struggle. Mine happens to be an inordinate love of detail forms. How this manifests is a tendency to "rush to the surface," as Stuart Williamson has talked about as the problematic issue of many sculptors, especially beginners.
I have worked hard to keep this in check; as time and experience have taken hold, I am sensing that the balance of detail-making and structural, anatomical form building are becoming much more in sync. Awareness, I believe, is key.
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