The Stone of Spiritual Understanding

A sculptor's creative journey from Noguchi's levitating rock to archetypal metaphor

 

I first discovered Isamu Noguchi's sculptures at MOMA San Francisco around 1980. I was overwhelmed by his awareness and use of space. It was a much more active element of his sculptures than other works I had studied.

"The Stone of Spiritual Understanding" is a rock suspended by a glass beam and posts. Displayed in a modestly lit room with no windows, the rock appeared to be levitating. It was powerful. The illusion was exceptional.

Years later, I saw the same sculpture exhibited at the Portland Japanese Garden pavilion. Surrounded by shoji screens, the glass reflected everything. The rock, instead of floating, looked more like a torso. I started a series of sketches to explore the figure, modifying the image with each subsequent sketch.

The Sketch Sequence: Following a Concept

These sketches are from a series of about 40 as I followed the concept from Noguchi's levitating stone to my own image. Each sketch documents a response to "what if?" I had no specific outcome planned. I simply wanted to explore.


Compare sketch of Isamu Noguchi's sculpture with the my interpretation.

Conceptual sketches 1 — my impression of Noguchi's sculpture and the figure it suggested as reflected in the shoji screens — a human form with a stone torso.

Exploration of different interpretations of Noguchi's concept reveal a new concept entirely.

Conceptual sketches 2 — the stone begins to shrink within the torso, getting progressively smaller with each additional sketch. It felt like a stone heart, not a direction I wanted to follow.

A new sculpture concept begins to emerge as the "stone" becomes negative space, an expansion of Noguchi's use of space.

Conceptual sketches 3 — the stone was removed from the torso entirely, leaving a void. This created a more dynamic form and created an unanswered question: "Why the hole?" This was a pivot point.

The archetypal metaphor begins to reveal itself as the concept evolves

Conceptual sketches 4 — I explored a translucent stone and gave the figure a more dynamic gesture. This felt like a basketball player. Again, not a direction I wanted to pursue.

The final sculpture concept takes shape, ready to execute in 3 dimensions as form and space.

Conceptual sketches 5 — the figure is now running, connected to the base by the heel of one foot. The stone has disappeared completely, leaving only the hole in the torso. Something unique had emerged.

The final sketches continued to refine the gesture. When the form and space relationship finally felt right, I moved to three dimensions.

Building the Sculpture

There is only one point of contact between the figure and the base. I anchored a quarter-inch steel rod into the marble base, running it up one leg, across the shoulders, and down the other leg. This provided structural stability while keeping the connection to the ground as simple as possible.

The steel rod anchored the gesture, but the arms, hands, and head remained manipulable throughout the process. The nuances of these are critical.

Many additional feet of steel wire refined the form. Each edge visible in the finished sculpture is determined by a wire beneath the surface. The armature is hidden, but its function is clearly visible.

Stone of Spiritual Understanding influenced by Isamu Noguchi with entirely new meaning.

Stone of Spiritual Understanding: 23" H x 12" W x 9" D, mixed media on carved marble base

I almost never orient the head to the plane defined by the shoulders. Here the head looks slightly to its right — a small decision that changes everything about the figure’s awareness of space. The hands extend forward from the body, but not too far. I didn't want to lose their relationship with the hole in the torso. The hands and the void are a critical relationship.

The surface is a fiber and polymer skin coated with a plaster and polymer texture and completed in acrylic paint. The palette is bold — complementary colors layered one over another to increase the perceived vibrancy of both. The marble base is an earthy mix, grounding the piece without calling attention to itself.

The Meaning

Noguchi titled his sculpture "The Stone of Spiritual Understanding." I doubt he ever explained what he meant by that. I love the title, so I’ve borrowed it and totally altered the meaning.

I see the stone as a metaphor — a point of focus for meditation. Take away the stone and you have your center exposed. The hole becomes a window. The extended hands now hold the understanding. What you see depends on your own state of mind.

This is the essence of an unanswered question. It’s an invitation to look deeper. Understanding is the a-ha moments that you cannot explain. You just know.

"The Stone of Spiritual Understanding" is a unique, original work. View pricing and details.

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