'found'
Influences and Symbolism.
The initial inspiration for this work stemmed from visits to India in 1977 and 1980 when I visited a number of important archaeological sites, mainly Buddhist and Hindu religious centres, rock cut or constructed in stone between the 3rd century BCE and the 15th century CE. These included Bamiyan (Afghanistan), Karli, Bhaja, Ajanta, Elura, Elephanta, Sanchi, Khajuraho, Konorak, Puri, Bhubaneshwar and Mahabalipuram. Tragically, the colossal Buddhas at Bamiyan were destroyed by the Taliban in 2000.
Exposure to such quantity and quality of architecture and sculpture made a deep and lasting impression on me. Despite its antiquity much of the work remained in pristine condition with traces of original paint bringing the past vividly to life.
I also viewed the national collections of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India in museums at Kabul, Lahore, Calcutta and Bombay.
I consider myself particularly fortunate to have seen the collection of the National Museum of Afghanistan at Kabul in 1977. This collection has since been dispersed or looted and the building destroyed in the internecine conflict between warring factions that has plagued the country since the Russian invasion.
The collection included, in addition to objects imported from the Mediterranean, Middle East, Central Asia, China and India, work from the region, which displays influences from India and the Greek world and is known as Gandharan. This work, also called Indo-Greek and Indo-Roman, interested me greatly with its eclectic adoption of formal prototypes.
I felt that the classical art of the Greek and Roman world with its emphasis on anatomical detail was constrained by its external formality, whereas the classical art of India, whose forms were a product of inflation by prana or cosmic breath was sometimes compromised by lack of such detail or by iconographic convention. However the best work of both cultures transcends such limitations and I dreamed of making sculpture which would do the same.
Of course there are many other sources that have influenced my work, from Donatello to Shang bronzes and Manga animation to Scythian animal style.
The sculpture can be seen as symbolising different aspects of the psyche and their conflict within the individual, as well as being a metaphor for the condition of humanity as a whole. Naturally this reflects concern for the environment and the other species with which we share the planet.