subject: Bronze Hockey Sculpture Makes A Great Gift [print this page] The Greeks and the Romans understood the relationship between art and athletics. It's easy to understand why statues of the deities of the time were so beautiful. Models chosen to represent the gods were selected from among the top athletes of the day. Unfortunately the ancient Mediterranean civilizations did not have hockey. If they had you wouldn't have had to wait until now to see a bronze hockey sculpture.
Artists have always recognized the beauty inherent in motion and many have tried to capture it. The Greeks and Romans have left magnificent sculptures of athletes wrestling or throwing the discuss. Each one conveys a single moment in time. And yet that moment recalls what led up to it and anticipates what is yet to come.
Ice hockey has its own unique movements and its own visual poetry. While many people think of hockey as a violent sport played by clumsy looking men wearing more padding than Santa Claus artists see beyond the surface. Just as warriors in full body armour have long been of interest to artists so can a fully uniformed hockey player.
Where hockey players differ from traditional knights in armour is the speed at which they move. Moving at high speeds across the ice the human body adopts a different range of motion and a different relationship to gravity. The angles created by the moving body, the stick and the puck are unique to hockey.
It is a common stereotype that people who enjoy sports cannot appreciate art and vice versa. However when a great artist sees and conveys the beauty of a sport something happens. Art lovers and sports lovers can come together in a moment of shared appreciation.
When the right artist takes up a study of a sport he or she can create an object that can appeal to someone who previously had no interest in the sport. In a captured moment the viewer can see past the fist fights and trips to the penalty box and see the training and dedication that have led to this moment. And artist can show the focus and determination as well as the scars on the face of the seasoned player.
A statue that represents a hockey player stopped in a moment in time can be enjoyed by someone who loves hockey. But it can also be appreciated by someone who is willing to look into another world and view it through the eyes of the artist. Children learning to play and parents supporting the dream of future athletes can look at a bronze hockey sculpture and envision great moments yet to come.
