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Trivial Pursuits
 Conlon sculpts second career
 Photo by Ben Dashwood Dean of Undergraduate Studies Kevin Conlon, left, unveils the bust of Noble Wimberly Jones he created for Savannah’s Emmett Park. By Monique Bos Published: Friday, November 11, 2005 Not only does Kevin Conlon serve as dean of undergraduate studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design, but he also keeps his skills honed through his private practice as a sculptor. Conlon’s work includes both commissioned and personal projects. Most recently, he unveiled a sculpture of American patriot and physician Noble Wimberly Jones in Savannah’s Emmett Park. The Georgia Medical Society commissioned the piece after Conlon was recommended to them by Sandra Reed, dean of graduate studies at SCAD, who at the time was dean of the School of Fine Arts. Prior to that project, Conlon created a bust of golfer Sam Snead for the Westin Hotel’s The Club at Savannah Harbor. “Those two sculptures are cast bronze,” Conlon said. “When I do work for private commissions, I tend to work in cast bronze because it’s traditional, and most people identify with it.” He said he has developed a knack for creating 3-D pieces based on 2-D paintings and drawings. This ability serves him well when he’s working on a portrait of a historical figure, such as Jones, and also when he creates memorial pieces, of which he has completed several. “I work very well from photos,” he said. “A lot of it involves trying to analyze the structure of what I’m looking at and working with that information.” For example, he can develop a concept of depth by studying areas of a head or figure that advance and recede in a photograph, he said. Knowledge of surface and structural anatomy — acquired in life drawing and figure drawing classes during his student days — also serves him well. “I’ve always been a figurative sculptor, so I’ve always been interested in learning about the figure,” he explained. “It’s a lot of educated guesswork and work with clients. I kind of feel like a police sketch artist.” Especially with memorial portraits, he said he concentrates on understanding how his clients want him to depict the subject. “You have to be able to get into their mindset and determine a good sense of that person’s feeling for the subject,” he explained. “You have to be good at talking to people, finding out what they want — what attributes should be projected by the sculpture when it’s done, what are important physical and emotional characteristics.” Conlon’s non-commissioned work is less representational, he said, and he uses a variety of materials, including concrete, aluminum, glass, fiberglass, cast resins, carved wood and carved stone. “I tend to work much less literally, much less figuratively,” he said. “There are still figurative references in my work, but they’re much more metaphorical.” Initially he said he used fragments of the human figure as a metaphor for memory. He extended that idea to examine how the structure of a sculpture could become a sort of a narrative, showing a beginning, middle and end. He created a series of building elements, such as walls, arches and columns, that combined his interest in metaphor, narrative and figure elements. “About five years ago, I left that behind,” he said. ”I started working with another metaphorical form, the amphora.” The amphora was a vessel used by the ancient Etruscans to store water and grain, Conlon explained. Later, Greeks appropriated the form for use in reliquaries that held the remains of heroes. “So it’s life-giving, but it’s associated with death, too,” he said. “I thought that was a wonderful form.” He said the amphora first appeared as an element in his drawings and paintings, “but lately it’s been appearing in my sculpture as well.” Conlon’s interest in sculpture goes back to his childhood, when he observed his father — a sculptor, professor and art department chair at the University of Southern Alabama — at work in his studio. “He was a good mentor,” Conlon said. “The first sculpture I did was when I was nine, copying a wood torso. He did a lot of figurative nudes, so I was mimicking him.” He also followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a professor. Conlon still teaches some drawing and sculpture courses in the SCAD foundation studies department, where he served full-time before becoming a dean, and he said his work as a sculptor enhances his teaching. “The best way for me to teach is to stay active in the arts,” he explained. While his workload might seem overwhelming, Conlon said he manages to dedicate time to sculpture — and to drawing, another artistic pursuit — by spending weekends in his studio. “I work pretty diligently on weekends,” he said. “I’m usually in my studio by 8 a.m., and I work until it gets dark or until I get tired or both.” And he loves what he does — both the academic and the artistic sides. “I’m fortunate enough to have my avocation be part of my vocation — that is, the thing that I love is part of my everyday life. I think there aren’t a lot of people who can say that. I think SCAD is one of those unique places where it happens a lot.” To view Conlon’s work, visit www.kevinconlon.com. |
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