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His latest piece of art is entitled “Nature’s
Embrace” and was placed at Lincoln College’s Dr. Dennis Campbell
Creekside Environmental Center on Thursday morning.
“Nature’s Embrace” is a unique sculpture that has been carved from
an eight foot tall Chinese Elm tree trunk. A space has been cleared
from the log that will allow a visitor to step into the sculpture
and be hugged by the tree.
This reversal of roles from tree hugger to being hugged by a tree is
the unique feature. The spring loaded hugging arms were also carved
from the tree.
Where does an artist get an eight foot tall by three foot diameter
tree trunk? “I stopped by Jason Hoffman’s studio one day and someone
had dumped the tree trunk in the alley. I just thought I could make
something out of it, save it from fire and ashes,” said Pinkerton.
“I really like working with wood, especially the pattern of the
grain,” he added.
From how Pinkerton described what happened, it seems as if this
sculpture was meant to be.
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He said that some person trying to dispose of a giant
tree trunk dropped it at the doorstep of a sculpture studio, and an
artist took it from there. The project was completed in about two
months. It is coated with a two-part epoxy resin that will make it
weather proof.
Pinkerton along with help from Ken Hoffman of Fairbury completed the
work at Jason Hoffman’s School of Sculpture at 517 North Sangamon in
Lincoln.
Moses is the owner and resident artist of the Lincoln Art Institute
where a monthly themed art show is a regular feature of the Lincoln
art scene.
At the installation Thursday morning, Moses Pinkerton placed a 2017
penny in the base of the sculpture. He always places a current penny
in his outdoor sculptures as a personal superstition.
What better choice of a final location than the beautiful Creekside
Environmental Center. “In the Mayan culture, a sculpture like this
is called a stela, representing a mystical spirit,” said Dennis
Campbell.
[Curtis Fox with photos by Fox, Jason Hoffman & Nila Smith]
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