Artist Statement
When I first select a block of wood, a discarded antler or a polished piece of soapstone, I need to watch it for a while. I let it sit on my table for days, weeks, sometimes even years before I see what I need to. The inspiration then requires me to carve it. I can feel the animal on the hunt. The fear in the bird as it flees the predator. Emotion spills out into the carving and from it, i create life. This give me ultimate joy. It is not about the finished product that others may enjoy or not. It is about the process and the enjoyment I get from seeing the scene unfold and my vision become reality.
I create art because of my passion for nature. I have grown up surrounded by nature and I seek solace in the company of animals of all kinds. After practicing veterinary medicine for 30 years, I developed an intimate knowledge of how bones move, how muscles overlay on bone, how skin folds over muscle and how fur sits inside skin. This has allowed me to feel the animal coming out of the medium. I have also been a hunter my whole life. Growing up in farmland of rural Saskatchewan I learned to live closely with the land and the animals that inhabit the local area.
I have witnessed the predator prey relationship time and time again and understand the fine details of the cycle of life. This is a strong component of my work and the medium I chose. Especially the antlers, as it is fascinating to work in a medium that was once alive but shed naturally once the rutting season was over. What was formerly alive, gives birth to a living sculpture and immortalizes the hard work of the moose that grew it. I welcome you to enjoy my work, I hope it gives you some of the pleasure that it provided me to create.
If you have any questions please contact me at byron@byroncrabb.com