Pocket Guide -> Media -> Poplar wood and paint -> Large Head
Large Head
by Stephan Balkenhol · German, born 1957
| Creation Date: | 1993 |
| Media & Support: | Poplar wood and paint |
| Dimensions: | 96 inches high |
| Credit: | Museum Purchase, Derby Fund |
Stephen Balkenhol continues a long German tradition of woodcarving that dates from the Middle Ages. He chooses woods that have knots and irregularities and that are pale in color, soft, and easily cut. He works on unseasoned wood, which will develop serendipitous cracks as it cures, and he uses a chisel to make evenly distributed cuts that will catch the light, like brushstrokes on a painting. The artist identifies himself with Everyman, here raised on a pedestal to monumental status.
