“My bronzes are expressions of my response to Biblical premises regarding the nature of God and the created order. First among these are the estrangement of man from God and from human beings. I try to show the distortions and ironies this estrangement creates. My images deal with creature-hood, alienation, resurrection, joy, praise, and gratitude to God. I derive hope from the fact that we receive ‘fresh strength’ from God every day. But the things we see are transient; it is the invisible things that we have hope in, that are truly permanent (II Corinthians 4:16-18).”
Discussion Questions
How does the artist understand the relationship between the “things seen” and “unseen,” including his own artwork?
What emotion(s) does this sculpture illicit in you? How does viewing it from different angles impact your experience of it?
The artist speaks of receiving “fresh strength from God everyday.” What is your experience of the process of renewal?
Listen to the psalm as you look at the images before you. What does this multisensory experience yield?
C. Malcolm Powers is an accomplished bronze sculptor living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He trained for one semester at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Detroit (1951), earning a BS in Design (1959) and a MA in Fine Arts with a focus on Sculpture (1961) from the University of Michigan. To see other examples of Malcolm’s work, please visit here.
