September, 1999
BY DEBORAH J. CARR
At times I am deluded into thinking that the meaning of sculpture may be defined. Is it not the awareness of an inner reality, of which sculpture is a reflection and a sign?
-Isamu Noguchi American sculptor and designer.
A conversation with sculptor Michael
Ernst is infused with the spiritual vision and integrity that inspires his
sculpture. His mesmerizing sculpture, noted for its harmony, visual elegance,
balance and textural appeal, conveys an honesty and simplicity of form and
structure."A sculptor's job is to create form, not color. Clean lines are the essence of sculpture," Ernst says. "When a piece of sculpture works well, harmony occurs among the forms that compose the sculpture."
While some artists strive to shake people up, Emst's work creates a sense of tranquility and aesthetic integrity. Although he says his work is not political, one could argue that his powerful, yet sublimely tranquil work, could be the ultimate political statement. In his work, balance is implicit in strength.
A graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Ernst received his MFA in sculpture from the University of Washington, Seattle. He made his transition from painting to sculpture when he experienced the excitement of making shapes work together in his first undergraduate sculpture course. When he completed his first bronze hand he knew he had found his medium. He experienced the pleasure of creation. As an undergraduate, he had a double major in religion and art, and he studied philosophy and art in India. He has deep respect for the convergence of art and religion. "Religion and art mesh in so many cultures," he says. "Traditionally, the primal impetus for art was spiritual, with early art based on religious and cosmological symbolism. Religion was art."
Using both Eastern and Western philosophical sources, Ernst uses symbolic and mystical forms in his sculpture, with many of his pieces suggesting primitive architecture. His ideas for sculpture have come from, among other things, his awareness of life forces, symbolic forms, and spiritual tradition. Despite the broad influences on his work, he is reserved about articulating a personal philosophy.
"I used to be more willing to jump into a statement of my personal philosophy, but frankly, it now seems presumptuous to me," he says. "Rather than articulate a philosophy about my style or sources of inspiration, I prefer to let my work speak for itself."
Stylistically, Ernst says that he has gone back and forth between abstract and representational art. His more abstract work allowed him to concentrate on the formal elements of his sculpture, without being overly concerned with the "what" of representation. "My earlier work was more cerebral, intellectual, but I've gathered a toolbox of friendlier shapes. He says he has "developed a fairly mature vocabulary of shape and structure," which he applies to moderately representational pieces. Although he preferred to work with limestone and marble for most of his career, his latest work is in wood. "There are many advantages to working with wood," Ernst says, "It is easy to move around. It is light and since I like to do it all myself, working with wood gives me a certain independence." He is currently creating a series of delightful "sea creatures," which have been extremely popular. "People like the sea creatures," he says. "They have crisp lines, and full, flowing formality. They are recognizable and fun."
When he is working on his sculpture, he goes into isolation. He must wear ear and eye protection while carving in wood and stone. "While I'm in that isolation, I become very focused in a physical sense. As I experience the transformation of the material, recursive thinking shuts down, and the primitive takes over. I'm never sure where I'm going with it, but then the work starts to talk back. It acquires its own logic, as you help it reveal itself. That process of transformation is the exciting part of my work."
In addition to his sculpture, Ernst is the computer systems administrator at the Woods Hole Research Center, which conducts global research in ecology. His design of the center's web site has been guided by his aesthetic and practical principles. In order to avoid lengthy downloading, he designs the pages to be fast and efficient, as well as aesthetically pleasing. His skill in graphic design has become a useful tool in information transfer regarding global research in ecology. He is grateful to work for an organization whose values are consistent with his own, and his computer expertise has added a technical dimension to his care as an artist. The combination of his graphic design skill and his computer competency has helped him market his work.
He does not feel any sense of conflict between his computer work and his sculpture. He divides his time between his two careers, devoting two evenings a week and most of each Saturday to his sculpture. His careers have intersected at a point in time when one can profit from the other. The financial security of his position at the Research Center has given him the freedom to work on his sculpture.
"I'm not trying to make a living from my art," he says resolutely. Having faced basic financial realities, he feels his creativity has been liberated.
Sculptor Isamu Noguchi suggested that "The visible world, in human terms, is more than scientific truths. The promise of sculpture is to project the inner presence into forms that can be recognized as important and meaningful in themselves." Ernst has shared Noguchi's values and followed his path.