After more than a year and a half, Gerhard Stelzhammer has completed his sculpture “The Angel and Death”. It can now be admired in the sculpture garden in Anidri. On 22 October, the almost 400 kg sculpture made of Untersberg marble, executed as a high relief, was moved from its workplace to its final location.Some visitors to Paleochora Art Week 2015 will still remember this sculpture. Gerhard had set it up at Stony Bouldevard and worked on it as part of Artist at Work.
Many questions were asked: Do you know at the outset what a stone will become? The answer to this question varies. But this was the case for the artist Gerhard Stelzhammer with the angel and death:
“Originally conceived as a contemplative female nude, the theme developed during the creative process, by chance and depending on the mood. Very soon the question arose as to how to design the large unworked surfaces that formed the background. After a long interruption, the idea of angel wings was added. Unfortunately, external circumstances repeatedly led to interruptions lasting several weeks, sometimes months (e.g. work for the Paleochora Art Week, construction of an art house …) and it was always difficult to find the right mood again. So death was also added after such a “break”.
As the theme that the angel ponders in his contemplation, so to speak. About life and death, both of which are mutually dependent. Life, as a fulfilled, successful life, should therefore have wings (angels), ready to marry death at any time. Finally, the flowing clock was added as a symbol of transience. The motif comes from Salvadore Dali, whose work I greatly admire.”
Creation: March 2015 to October 2016.
Made from Untersberg marble, executed in high relief.
