Stone carving has a storied history that predates the first human civilization. Stone continues to fascinate artists in modern times, inspiring works that often transcend time and place. While tools and styles may have evolved, the essence of transforming raw stone into art remains the same, testifying to the enduring allure of the material.
Today’s art focus showcases the work of the Italian sculptor Mino Gabellieri (b 1944) who is based in Volterra, Central Italy. Gallelieri works with alabaster rock and sandstone, both brittle and difficult material that requires extreme precision in . His work draws on the form of prehistoric figural sculptures such as the famous “Venus” figures of the Neolithic period that date to between 29,000 and 40,000 years ago.
Gabellieri continues this ancient tradition with a modern touch. His feminine figures celebrate the beauty of the female form and its associations with motherhood in works that are minimalist and abstract. Like his Neolithic predecessors, his sculptures respect the roughness of unpolished stone. They look battered and eroded, almost unrecognizable, but essence thereby distilled to new levels.
Featured below is ‘Cariatide’ a 1997 work by Gabellieri in panchino sandstone.
