The Elegance of Nature Softly Carved in Soapstone

Robert Francis Murray

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Hardback

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English

New Academia Publishing/Vellum
04 June 2024

Oriental art; Sculpture; Asian history; Painting & art manuals

From the author: ""There is little available information about the real origin of Chinese soapstone carvings. Perhaps one reason being that soapstone was considered lesser in value than jade, the most sought after by collectors. The Chinese were the master carvers with similarities from piece to piece that suggested a definite traditional style with deeper roots and meaning. In time it became harder to find them especially the carvings of a specific soft green tone. In my collection, now numbering in the hundreds of pieces, are some jade pieces. When comparing the carving itself, the intricate inclusions in soapstone, despite the colorations, are artistically superior to the jade that is considered much more valuable and rarer.""

By: Robert Francis Murray
Imprint: New Academia Publishing/Vellum
Dimensions: Height: 254mm, Width: 203mm, Spine: 11mm
Weight: 553g
ISBN: 9798990054226
Pages: 108
Publication Date: 04 June 2024
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Robert F Murray established The von Brahler Ltd./Gallery (1983-2011). Since 2011, he has arranged exhibits in alternate spaces for artists and wrote about them for the art media. For several years his main focus has been on the works of contemporary Russian-born emigré artists. In 1985, he created the Association of Alexandria Art Galleries that he managed until 1995. He has both a BLA and an MLA from the Liberal Studies Program, Georgetown University, and published the book Swampoodle Lily, which highlights his experience as a major team member in the Renovation of Saint Aloysius Jesuit Church in Washington, D.C.

Reviews for The Elegance of Nature Softly Carved in Soapstone

""Bob Murray's soapstone study is a refreshingly dynamic and sophisticated, cultural and historical chronology of the ancient world of metamorphic soapstone rock, written in a uniquely novel manner of storytelling - a must read for enthusiasts of hand-carved sculpturing."" ―David A. Castelveter, Director, Office of Public Affairs, Nuclear Regulatory Commission ""This beautifully illustrated volume is a unique and informative introduction to Chinese soapstone artwork, and a substantive primer for others like me who are not deeply familiar with the fine arts or this genre. As an anthropologist specializing in cultural evolution, I think that this volume may elevate expert and non-expert appreciation of Chinese small soapstone sculpture relative to more highly valued and popular Chinese artwork made from jade. Of course, only time will tell. For now, Murray's book certainly succeeds in establishing a compelling argument for initiating such a cultural change within the art world and among the public."" ―James E. Lassiter, Ph.D., Cultural Anthropologist, Atlanta