Michael Binkley Abstract Stone Sculpture, “Invitation to a Pearl”

This sculpture is another in a series of abstract forms that I have done. With “Invitation to a Pearl” I again use the ellipse as the outside edge of the composition. This piece is part of a series of elliptical forms that I have sketched that include an opening in the form that reveals a variety of other forms.

This sculpture is an ellipse orientated horizontally and a curvilinear opening cuts all the way from end to end. The negative space reveals a sphere that is partially sunken into the ellipse and it has a matte surface. A smooth, highly polished piece of nephrite jade wraps around the front of the sphere and appears to be a leaf, or a piece of seaweed. The insides of the negative opening are crosshatched with a fine toothed rake chisel and the outside surface of the sculpture is a smooth, matte surface.

As with “Gesture and Flow”, there is an interesting dichotomy of the rough, small shadows cast by the crosshatched areas against those softer, broad shadows of the ellipse and the sphere. The dark green colour of the nephrite jade pops against the matte white marble. The combination of all the elements made me think of an oyster shell with a pearl inside, so the title leans to a comforting place for a jewel to reside. I have set the sculpture on an elliptical base of charcoal grey Italian granite.