Apeiron - Silicon bronze, cupric nitrate finish 6"x12" diameter

Minimalist art asks us to turn inward to examine why a shape, a color, or a form produces a powerful emotion independent of any rational context. Stripping away all secondary associations, it puts us in direct touch with the sources of remembrance. Its success lies in its ability to invoke the most universal passions through the sparest means. While we may be stretched to call any single work of John Maul minimalist, the term may be applied to the body of work taken as a whole.

Maul works within the confines of a cast bronze hemisphere, the largest of which measures 12.5 inches in diameter. The small spherical shape suggests a microcosm, and within its confines, Maul indeed invokes a world of sentiments and associations. Several of the pieces bear the term gothic in their title, referring not so much to the formal characteristics of Gothic style as to our modern associations of gothic with things old and mysterious.

All That Glitters - Steel ring, rebar, wood, gold enamel, fire residue 84"x84"x10"

The patina of the work turns bronze into iron, and the open vessel seems like an object of a long forgotten liturgical rite. We find, however, that our response to the objects varies greatly with the artists subtle manipulations of the form.

John Maul lives in Corvallis, Oregon and is an Adjunct Professor of Art at Southern Oregon State College. He has received many awards and honors for his work and has been part of publications including two issues of Sculpture Magazine and Arthur Williams Sculpture: Technique-Form-Content.

Artist Statement
The hemisphere / vessel has a metaphoric relationship to our own earth, as well as the archeological nature of the artifacts that we have produced. Ancient vessels are traditionally produced from natural materials (stone, clay, metals, etc.) taken directly from the earth and shaped by human hands. While my works are handmade, I think of them more as Industrial Vessels, connoting their creation in a futuristic industrial, but still somewhat Gothic society.

I incorporate the Greek cross into many of the works, not so much as a symbol of the orthodox church, but for religion in general. I feel that these icons are more symbolic of our own inhumanity and judgments toward human-kind, rather than the manifestation of Gods unconditional love for humankind. I selected the Greek cross over the Latin cross for both design considerations and its resemblance to the x, a symbol of negation. Many modern religious groups will condemn or hold judgments against those who dont subscribe to their philosophies. To me, this translates to simple bigotry and intolerance

Neo-Gothic 2 - Steel plate, rebar, concrete 8"x16" diameter