Lawrence Labianca
I sculpt metal, ceramic, wood, and glass into iconic and at times enigmatic forms that explore humankind’s relationship with nature. My work is influenced by a childhood split between rural Maine and New York City—an experience that inspired a profound interest in the dichotomy between communities in which people work close to nature, and the alienation of an urban, technological society. My sculptures explore and illustrate the parallels and interactions between these two worlds
Many of my finished artworks also acquire the form and function of tools. Tools are essential for a complete discussion about the process of making sculpture. They are the extensions of the human hand through which materials are manipulated and shaped, and they are the vehicles through which information can be unearthed. The tools we apply to nature—to contain it, shape it, understand it and categorize it—also have a profound affect upon it. It is this impetus to measure, understand, contain and manipulate nature that I enact through my work.