This carving from Herbert is the first one in a series of four, the name given
to the carving is
wo:kwin"ne (1), soon there will be three more
pieces to join the first one, the other pieces will be considerably
smaller but the same size in impact.
The names meaning is (more than 1 subject) this piece in my opinion
is one of the most spectacular works in his career ; he has
taken a lifetime of experiences and talent and comprise them into one work
of art. Take
the time to look this masterpiece over; mention it to a friend and let
them share in a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
This
relationship with Herbert Him began about 15 years ago on my first trip to
Zuni, a young man with a few children and a wife, and surrounded by a lot
of sculpturing stone. My
first impression was that this young man was on the way to being a master
carver. Since then I have
grown to become a friend and associate of this human being.
Herbert is approximately 47 years old now and what most
collectors would consider a master, he has carved almost every type of
animal that there is, and different subject matters.
He started carving alabaster, and moved on to many different
materials such as turquoise, jet, Lapis, Pipestone, marble, Shell and a
stone called Picasso marble, Picasso is a limestone conglomerate, comes in
black, gray brown some yellow. This
stone (Picasso Marble) is one of Herbert's favorite materials to carve
because of the hardness and color. Herbert
has been carving for about 15 to 16 years.
His
father was a civil engineer and passed away when Herbert was 11 years old,
his mother has made jewelry most of her life, and gave birth to seven
children. When
he was young he traveled around the United States exploring and
discovering different aspects of to be or not to be, the question that we
all confront sooner or later. Coming
back to New Mexico his heart and an instinct told him the art world was
the path that he was to pursue. This
path took him to the Institute of American Indian arts. He attended school
from 1969 to 1974. He studied painting, the art of making jewelry and
sculpturing, along the journey he met a gentleman by the name of Allen
Hauser the world-renowned human being, carver and gentleman. Mr. Hauser was nephew to Geronimo who was a Chiricahua
Apache. Mr. Hauser
seemed to have a way with everything he ever crafted.
When these two came together it definitely was a union
that was meant to be. Allen
expressed to everyone the importance of the heart and soul in any
project that he encountered or took on.
Allen told his student once when talking, he said, "the world would
not survive without art" what a powerful statement that was. The quote
impressed Herbert, and inspired this human being in all of his work in
a heartfelt way. Allen's work was contemporary; Herbert's work has taken the
contemporary and mixed it with the traditional which gives us an
extraordinary mix. He
mentioned Mr. Hauser said to always have pride in your work, this
ethic seem to stick with Herbert all through his carving career.
Every carving I have ever seen, he has been very proud of and put
as much heart and soul as possible into it.
Another lesson learned from Mr. Hauser was the extraordinary
ability to capture muscle tone and definition of any animal that he
decided to carve; he attributes this relationship with his work to Mr.
Hauser and his expression of how the artist must develop this form of
expression in his work.
Mr. Hauser couldn't express enough to his students the principle of
becoming one with your work and he expresses that principle
in his work still today.
He speaks of Mr. Hauser with high regard as a master and a friend.
