“Set in Stone”: Jeremy Colbert

Set in Stone by Jeremy Colbert

I admit to this being one of those sculptures where I cock my head and think “hmmmmm….” Still, I photographed it from different angles, considering it in light of knowing the title and artist. This was one of the sculptures where a nameplate is provided with the artist’s name and location. If you are like me, “set in stone” means something permanent and enduring, or at least meant to be lasting. I like things that are symbolic in meaning, and no doubt, prompted by the title, I began to look for what was set in stone. Obviously, the pieces of marble are stone. I could see the circular aspects of the steel pipes (rings) and the mounting pieces holding the stone in place on the sturdy and circular base. Certainly somewhat literally, the piece was set in stone. As is often the case with me, the more I pursue, the more I see what I did not know, or see or imagine. Like a gigantic engagement ring, asking me to commit?

Jeremy Colbert is Chickasaw, born and raised in Oklahoma. The Chickasaw Nation are indigenous people originally from northern Mississippi, northwestern Alabama, southwestern Kentucky, and western Tennessee. The Chickasaw Nation comprises all or portions of 13 counties in south central Oklahoma north of the Texas border divided by Red River, and south of Oklahoma City. Colbert is a talented artist having a BA in Studio Art from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and MFA in Sculptures and Ceramics from Florida State University. He has taught sculpture at Florida State, University of South Alabama, and is has been at the University of Kentucky since 2008. His many skills include “patinas, powder coating, molding and casting, metal casting, blacksmithing, drawing, and three-dimensional design” (Jeremy Colbert Sculpture).

Artist Statement

Through the years I have challenged myself to explore many ways of producing my art and to discover more about the psychology in the work itself.  My art develops from concepts, improvisation, and events, that use subjects such as, memories, stories, and Native American culture that have all become more prominent in the work.
 
My art works are reflective of a rediscovery through evaluation of one's self.  In order to redefine your existence, peel back one's childhood, identity, and personal experiences, the truth that lies just beneath the surface will emerge.  Andy Goldsworthy said “Something just under the surface directly affects the outside surface.” In my quest for personal answers in my art this is exactly what I found. All of life’s experiences, remembered and repressed, have begun to resurface and it is all just under that delicate surface, the surface of truth and ownership.

Jeremy Colbert Sculpture. Gallery: Art Statement. Retrieved from  https://jeremycolbert.wixsite.com/mysite/gallery  

In scrolling through the gallery, and exploring his public art, one gets a feel for his range of expression, his passion for creation. It is fascinating to see the variety of art works he creates, using a range of materials, often repurposed. I strongly recommend that you visit the gallery and his public art works at the link. I was deeply moved by many of his works, but particularly so with “Stuck in a Rut” and “Rocking on a High Horse” and “Where the Spirit Meets the Bone,” but the one that literally took my breath away was “I Can’t Breathe”–his 2021 Cast Iron, Cast Bronze, Brass, Forge Steel, Rope. “Relocation” was powerful also–sort of like a symbolic re-imagining of where I had just traveled.

Suzassippi’s Shadow is not Set in Stone, but it rests there for a time as part of the conversation.

Colbert's work focuses on personal expression with basic levels of communication. "For me, the right material and image says the right thing. It is all about connecting to the viewer in a visual conversation."
"Teaching is full on problem-solving," Colbert says.

Steve Shaffer and Whitney Hale. (February 10, 2021). How Jeremy Colbert Sculpted His Future as an Educator. UKNow: University of Kentucky.