NANCY ILG SCULPTURE

ARTIST  STATEMENT

​

Artist Statement:

Over the last 16 years as a sculptor, I’ve moved from clay to plaster and wire mesh. My work is a compilation of visual language I’ve accumulated over that time. What I find continuously interesting is the form of flowers, seedlings, pods, and curves, the shape of landscape, as well as the figure of the human form.

In the process of creating a sculpture, I’m able to access an energy that is alive in the moment. Each piece I take on begins with contemplation and attention to the smallest detail. Soon a conversation ensues, in which I’m in dialogue with the work, its materiality, and the form it will eventually take in three-dimensional space. I work intuitively, so it is important to listen to the language of forms. Moment by moment bold decisions are made that informs the work. 

I make each piece, but not for myself. I seek the feeling of being in awe of the elements and beauty within nature and ourselves, , and create sculpture that inspires the same feeling for my viewers, like a child looking up at a star filled sky. I want these sculptures to reach out and touch someone else. I’m intrigued by scientific investigations into what happens to people when they see beautiful art. Neurologists scanning the brains of volunteers looking at art have detected surges of dopamine in the reward centers of the brain. Other neuroscientists have conducted imaging studies that suggest looking at art creates a networked map within the brain that changes neural pathways. I want to build a deep connection with art, and provoke an exalted feeling, whether that comes from the serenity of the piece, the beauty of curves, or the surprise of how the materials interact with the space.