Balancing Act
18" x 17", Edition of 35

Bronze Sculpture

This performer of a magic circus is balancing all the things in her life and spirit. The snails symbolize the very long time it took me to sculpt this creature out of my vivid fantasies. I sculpt at a snail's pace with great meticulousness, and rework each piece until it communicates the emotions I want to relate . This narrative art piece weaves the story of my creative life, in a decidedly comic surreallist fashion.

The things in life that mean the most seem to require a balancing act to give the act, work, or people you love the attention they all deserve. The fish is a symbol of the joy of following your dream.

This was my first bronze, and I have a particular fondness for it. It has now been in existence for over ten years and not surprisingly, the limited edition is about sold out. Two are left to cast — with a little encouragement, I would love to do a larger one about three feet tall.

Claudia Cohen