|
|
ML Snowden Bio
Gracing the halls of
Buckingham Palace is not an honor which many contemporary artists can claim
on their CV. M.L. Snowden’s prolific artwork, her inspiration and her legacy
have been explored in many published works by insightful authors such as Dr.
Remo Nevi, the Metropolitan Museum of Art sculpture scholar, Dr. Marie Busco
and James Edwards. The purity and intensity of her bronze metal mastery
inspires a vast audience of devotees, equally inspiring engineers and art
patrons alike. With faultless artistry, M.L. Snowden captures the essence of
spirituality in her sculptures yet manages to achieve groundbreaking
metallurgical and engineering advancements that test the scientific borders
of her materials.
Her willingness to
experiment with new methods and face potential failure reveals a strength of
vision seldom present in potentially fragile artists; her fearless quest to
stretch the medium of bronze casting has resulted in breathtaking sculpture,
but achieved at great risk. She takes an “all or nothing at all” approach.
The “lost wax casting” method bears with it the danger that if the casting
process fails, the artwork is lost. On this foundation, Snowden has not
clung to the safe route on a diminutive scale, but instead has chosen to
unleash the skills with which God has blessed her; apply the legacy of
knowledge passed on to her through her father and her mentors; wield the
sculpting tools and techniques inherited from the studios of Auguste Rodin;
and engage in a lifelong quest to capture the beauty of divinity on a
staggering scale.
Not simply a glimpse of
the ephemeral, Snowden’s work at heart offers us the opportunity to gaze
with awe on the dynamic spirit of God. Her rare devotion to revealing
profound messages transcends physical and intellectual limitations. Whether
her subject reveals mankind’s struggles on a herculean plane or the infinite
attention to the detail of Hebrew’s smallest letter, Snowden’s adroit touch
captures fluidity and grace in a permanent medium for all to enjoy and
admire.
After completing her
B.F.A. at Loyola Marymount in 1974, perhaps her post graduate studies in
Europe that came about on winning the Try Foundation Prize which enabled her
to study at the Louvre in France, the Vatican Collections in Rome, the
Uffizi and the Academy of the Try Foundation in Italy, all substantively
provided her an insider’s access to the secrets of the old world masters.
Certainly such immersive experiences enlarged her craft and led to her being
awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree. Yet undoubtedly the opportunity
to apprentice with her own father for 17 years was pivotal to her
development.
Shepherding and guiding
an artistic genius is not a responsibility to be undertaken lightly. Her
father, a renowned artist in his own right, instilled in his daughter
artistic joy coupled with discipline; an untiring work ethic; deep respect
for history; and an intimate appreciation of the responsibility to bring to
life art which elevates the viewer. He provided a rich environment in which
to percolate her potential and lived to see the world appreciate her gifts.
No fledgling stage for Snowden, the world welcomed her with open arms as she
won the First Class Medal in 1974 at the Des Beaux Arts Annual Exhibition in
Paris, followed quickly by the Gold Award in 1975 for her epic sculpture
from the Brindesi Institute Exposition in Verona; and a showing of her
sculpture and drawings in 1976 for the Bonaparte Society in Paris.
Since then, her work
has been collected and exhibited from San Francisco to Switzerland, from
Toronto to Tokyo, from New York to Paris. Her early election to membership
in the Jesuit Scholastic Honor Society perhaps foretold of her ambition to
integrate her faith with her artistic and academic studies. Whether she is
sculpting a bronze relief of Miriam, Sister of Moses; creating Great Golden
Angels for the Main Altar in the Los Angeles Cathedral of Our Lady of the
Angels; lecturing on the Fractal and Euclidian Geometries of Sculpture or
being showcased in “M.L. Snowden – Glories of the Vatican”; her
unflinching dedication achieves a unique blend of art, faith and science.
In addition to being
the recipient of awards too extensive and numerous to list including being
named the global winner of the International Rodin Competition of Tokyo,
Japan, hosted by 32 nations, Snowden has graciously consented to interviews
in cooperating with the production of books and documentaries. She has
participated in exhibitions and shows and undertaken majestic commissions of
significant proportion while simultaneously exploring, nurturing and
reinventing her craft in her studios located in Austria, Paris and
California.
Most recently, Snowden
has collaborated with ABC for a television project showcasing her 20 foot
high City of Glendale Civic Monument. Along with completing significant
publications such as The M.L. Snowden Sculpture Museum, and M.L.
Snowden: Bronze Masterworks of the Geological Coreium; the sculptor has
recently overseen the permanent installation of major works in Brazil at the
Ricardo Brennand Museum Institute, in Washington DC at the White House and
at The Butler Institute of American Art.
Click on the Link below and Join us as a Friend
... and get up to date information on clients wanting pieces, clients selling pieces, clients buying pieces,
clients changing prices on pieces ...
 Every client has different motivations
for selling and as such we don't offer pricing on the pieces clients sell
If you are looking for the value of
your limited edition artwork --
we have a $50 charge for certificates
of value if you provide the title, the number of your piece, and an image of
your artwork. Original one-of-a-kind pieces require a formal appraisal.
Please see our Appraisal Services page.
Thomas Arvid
Arvid
Last revised:
October 20, 2023
|
