Lot 70
Jesus Moroles (American/Texas, 1950-2015), "Las Mesas Column", 1999, Fredericksburg granite, unsigned, h. 99 in., w. 26 in., d. 13 1/2 in. (comprised of 24 components). Provenance: Acquired from the Artist, Important Private Collection, Nashville, TN. Note: Born in Corpus Christi, TX, Jesus Moroles developed an early passion for art. Following service in the Air Force during the Vietnam War and studies at North Texas State University, Moroles worked as an apprentice to renowned sculptor Luis Jimenez (1940-2006). In 1980, he fulfilled a lifelong dream to travel to Pietra Santra, Italy for one year, where he was deeply moved by the art and tradition of marble carving. The artist returned to Texas shortly thereafter, committed to working in stone. Rather than carving marble however, Moroles instead felt that granite would be his medium, saying granite was a fundamental element the core and heart of the universe Looking to the work of Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) for aesthetic inspiration, Moroles began using wedge-like tools to split stone: "I wanted to expose the true nature of the stone, so I decided not to carve it but tear it." This method involved hammering five-inch steel wedges into the stone, causing it to split along the natural grain. Moroles polished some surfaces of the granite, but left others rough. The interplay of the smooth and coarse surfaces became a vital element in his work, a subtle commentary on the theme of man versus nature that would be woven in his work throughout his career. Moroles generally worked on a colossal scale, transforming the landscape with large fragments of granite through his public sculptures. Moroles largest work was a 1991 memorial to Houston police officers, a 120-by-120-foot public sculpture on the banks of Buffalo Bayou. His most visible was Lapstrake from 1987, a 64-ton, 22-foot-tall sculpture at the E.F. Hutton CBS Plaza in New York, across the street from the Museum of Modern Art. The New Orleans Museum of Arts Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden includes Moroles Las Mesas Bench from 1989. Despite their large scale, Moroles completed all of his works in his own studio in Rockport, TX. Granite required both great physical strength and perseverance to transform, and Moroles rarely worked from sketches, instead allowing the medium to shape his design. His forms were universal columns, crescents, triangles, obelisks, and pyramids. Many paradoxes exist within Morloles work, as they evoke both ancient and modern civilizations. Sensuous columns resemble both pre-historic totems and sleek, towering skyscrapers. With the Las Mesas Column, offered here, Moroles effortlessly achieves both the scale and captivating surface seen in his most important works. The column towers over the viewer, and as the artist intended, the natural presence of the stone transforms the environment surrounding it into a sacred space. Jesus Moroles was one of the master sculptors of his generation. His works are held in esteemed private, museum, corporate, and public collections including the Dallas Museum of Art, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Museum of Contemporary Art in Oksaka, Japan, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Museum of Fine Arts Santa Fe and the National Museum of American Art Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., among others. Moroles' sculptures were included in over three hundred museum and gallery exhibitions during his lifetime, and he was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2008. Ref.: Castro, Fernando. Jesus Moroles, Sculptor (1950-2015). Literal Magazine. June 2015. www.literalmagazine.com. Accessed Mar. 13, 2017. Gangelhoff, Bonnie. Jesus Bautista Moroloes. Southwest Art. Sept. 1997. www.southwestart.com. Accessed Mar. 13, 2017.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $99 | $10 |
| $100 | $499 | $25 |
| $500 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $2,999 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $9,999 | $250 |
| $10,000 | $49,999 | $500 |
| $50,000 | $999,999 | $5,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $1,999,999 | $10,000 |
| $2,000,000 | $2,999,999 | $15,000 |
| $3,000,000 + | $20,000 |