John Van Alstine

The union of stone and metal, recently rough-hewn NY slate and found object steel, are central in John Van Alstine’s sculpture. On its most basic level the work is about the marriage of the natural with the human-made.

Stone is used as an assemblage element, the way a welder uses steel, rather than in the traditional manner of subtraction. In contrast to the timelessness of stone, the found-object steel is very time specific - 20th century industrial. The industrial/structural characteristics inherent in the metal are often employed in the work and used to physically connect or suspend stone elements. The strength of the metal allows for a "choreographing" or "floating" of the typically earthbound stone.