Coastal Marin Artists Gallery
Steve Lewis
Stone Carving
March 13 - April 25, 2010 / Curated by Dieter Tremp
Shining seals and whales rise out of rough-hewn stone, a reclining walrus fits snugly into the natural shape of a big rock, polished dorsal fins form handsome abstractions and each of Steve Lewis' sculptures celebrates the beauty of granite.
Lewis’ sculptures begin as big rocks, tumbled into rounded shapes by thousands of years of rushing river water. To find the right shapes and sizes, Lewis searches through sites in Northern California where dredging for gold in the 1870s to the 1950s left piles of rubble. These rocks weigh hundreds of pounds, and hauling them home is a feat in itself. The rocks stand in the grass by his Bolinas home and studio until Lewis chooses one that suits the design he has in mind. Using myriad diamond and carbide cutting, grinding and polishing tools he takes away rock to reveal fluid images against rough textured backgrounds.
In the mid-sixties Lewis began to carve large wood sculptures out of redwood, fir and eucalyptus. His work was exhibited at the Vorpal Gallery in San Francisco and Petri’s Gallery in Sausalito. He also built custom residential homes. In the last few years he has turned to the more challenging medium of granite sculpture.
Lewis grew up in Marin County, in Ross. He and his wife, Marlys, raised their children in Stinson Beach. Lewis says “While living on the northern California coast for forty years, I learned to love the beauty of the coast and all its wildlife. Marine mammals and coastal birds are what inspire my art today.”
