Cody Vance Abstract stone sculptures

J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art

Abstract Stone Sculptures

Cody Vance

All artwork photography courtesy of J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art, and the artist Prices are for current artwork, and can change at any time

Š 2014 JR Mooney Galleries 305 S. Main Boerne, Texas 78006 830-816-5106 Edited by Gabriel Diego Delgado

Cody Vance “Abstract Stone Sculptures J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne

“...My sculpture pieces beg to be touched…demand to be felt. How else can one understand that this fluid, twisting, sensuous thing before them is stone?”

Artist Statement They defy what we think we know by their graceful lines, their soft curves, and their sharp edges. My work comes from somewhere deep within that remained hidden, locked away until I was ready. The necessary skills, understanding of other processes and artistic maturity were needed before this new world could be accessed.

Now, everything I’ve learned… every success, every failure, every critic, every experiment has prepared me — Prepared me for long hours of studying the shape of the raw stone, designing, cutting, sanding and polishing. Creating a shared form balanced of negative and positive space…now it’s my joy and desire is to share them with you.” -C.V.

Cody Vance was born in 1965 in Eureka, Kansas and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Vance began his career in the arts during his service with the United States Air Force. When he enlisted in the Air Force in 1985 as a member of the Security Forces, he was fundamentally aware that he would be striking out on a different path when the right opportunity presented itself. In 1997, that opportunity came knocking when Mr. Vance was able to retrain in the military Graphic Artist career field – a military career change he describes as very welcome and states “ … I felt like I had come home.”

The Department of Defense agreed as Mr. Vance was honored as their Military Graphic Artist of the Year for the years 2007, 2008, and 2009. It was the first time the DoD conferred this prestigious award to a military artist more than once and the only time in it’s history that it has conferred the award to the same artist for consecutive years. This tremendous accomplishment is even more impressive given that Mr. Vance is essentially a self-taught artist.

Outside of the 3 months of graphic art technical school provided by the Air Force in 1997, Mr. Vance has had no formal training in the arts.

He has relied on the power of his talent, his observations, trial and error, and his dedication to a life in the arts to hone his skills as a professional artist. His career in the Air Force provided valuable life experiences for Mr. Vance to draw upon in his career as an artist, including travel around the world, particularly throughout Western Europe.

In 2008, while studying under sculptor Rachman Ulmer at the Inspire Community Fine Art Center in San Antonio, Texas, Mr. Vance discovered his passion for stone sculpting. While much of Mr. Vance's career as a military artist has been spent in creating portraiture, figurative paintings, and graphic art and design, his current focus and passion is sculpting in stone.

Mr. Vance is very intuitive, the final form of each piece very organic, fluid, elegant, and graceful; they provide both a serene, calming atmosphere‌ and an edge. He currently resides in San Antonio and is a member of the Air Force Art Program, Texas Sculpture Group and Texas Sculpture Association.

“There is no substitute for feeling the stone…to feel its texture; to struggle with it in the world rather than in the mind alone.”

–William M. Dupree, Sculptor By: Gabriel Diego Delgado

S

tone Sculpting takes commitment, craftsmanship, knowledge of tools/ hardware, and diligence. These

artists are a dedicated breed of artisans, pulling out exquisiteness from Mother Nature; helping guide, caress and facilitate the hidden beauty of the stone – exotic or regional. The stone sculptors in South Texas are as varied and interesting as their masterpieces. The Texas Sculpture Group, an affiliate of the International Sculpture Center, and the Texas Sculpture Association are two of only a handful of organizations that help give a unified voice to these unique individuals in the Texas region.

However, the Greater San Antonio area is home to an assortment of stone sculptors; each with their own unique stories, backgrounds and experiences. Some of them have been classically educated; others selftrained.

A plethora of coffee table, pedestal and home décor size sculptors available on the local art market make it the perfect acquisition to complement the rediscovered home décor trend of the coveted art nook.

But, as a material, stone is distinctive in its personality.

Anchored by a very unforgiving approach, artists normally getting one opportunity to subtract the material needed to execute the design and aesthetic.

Their work is “subtractive,” meaning that they create by taking away, and with the exception of certain situations, once removed, forever gone.

“A plethora of coffee table, pedestal make it the perfect acquisition to co nook.” -G.D.

Their hands must be steady, their eyes keen, and their drive of how they want to bring their sculpture to life unwavering.

Cody Vance is one of these sculptors. A former military artist, Cody’s approach to stone carving came in 2008 from a need to stretch his creative muscle by moving away from his comfort zone of drawing and painting into the world of the threedimensional.

As he began to hammer and chisel his first piece of limestone, he knew that every other medium he had worked with was preparing him for stone sculpture; an uncharted world of threedimensional abstraction.

-G.D.

l and home dĂŠcor size sculptors available on the local art market mplement the rediscovered home dĂŠcor trend of the coveted art

CATALINA Private Collection

TIMELINE OF CATALINA

CIMMERIA MONS

Private Collection

Current Works Available

CODY VANCE J.R. MOONEY GALLERIES FINE ART 210.828.8214 830.816.5106

COOL BREEZE Cody Vance Italian Ice Alabaster 15” x 12”

RHAPSODY IN BLUE Cody Vance Italian Blue Ice 14” x 12” $3,000.00

INTO THE BAYOU

Cody Vance Andes Onyx 20” x 20” $3,600.00 Includes artist base and swivel pin for 360 degree viewing

DETAIL OF INTO THE BAYOU

“...A gorgeous new twist rock, Into the Bayou is a ample of polished Ande stone highly prized for its grain, webs of beauty an ture aesthetic.”

t of carved prime exs Onyx; a s intricate nd signa�

Up from the oil slick spilled Texas coast comes Into the Bayou, a new sculpture by Texas artist Cody Vance. The title evokes a grizzly croc creeping up from the cloudy waters approaching some sort of unattended stroller, a lurking terror in a state known for a multitude of environmental disasters, but never fear art lover -- the opposite is true. A gorgeous new twist of carved rock, Into the Bayou is a prime example of polished Andes Onyx; a stone highly prized for its intricate grain, webs of beauty and signature aesthetic. Sought after by artisans of all kinds, this stone is almost obsolete with major international mining deposits now going to large corporations dealing in home construction; very rarely does an individual have such access to natural beauty. Vance has displayed his craft in such a way that we are amazed and at awe with the imperfections of the stone juxtaposed with his craftiness that pulls out the strength and weaknesses to justify hours of love and labor uncovering such hidden beauty.

-Gabriel Diego Delgado

RED RIVER

Cody Vance Raspberry Alabaster 29” x 12” $3,200.00

“...Vance is very intuitive, the final form of each piece very organic, fluid, elegant, and graceful; they provide both a serene, calming atmosphere…and an edge.”

-G.D.

DETAIL OF RED RIVER

Contact If you have any further questions about the artist or artworks available please direct all further inquiries to:

J.R. Mooney Gallery (830) 816-5106 (Phone) (830) 331-9114 (Fax)

Gabriel Delgado, Director email: GabrielD@jrmooneygalleries.com

Gallery Website: www.jrmooneygalleries.com

Please visit us in beautiful downtown Boerne 305 S Main St #400, Boerne, TX 78006 26