Soulscape 20, Art Inspires Our Transformation
From My Upcoming Book: Soulscape – The Role of Art in Our Lives
Martine Vaugel, First Survivor, c. 1976, bronze, life-size. With the permission of the artist.
Martine Vaugel sculpted this life-size bronze in approximately 1976, depicting a middle-aged athletic man, aged 40 to 60, striding forward. Everything about the figure, from the tilt of the head to the sway of the shoulders and arms to the dynamic stride of his legs, conveys a sense of forward motion. It is extremely rare to see successful artworks of older nudes, male or female, because there is often a psychological letdown in viewing the effects of aging. But in this case, the man exudes vitality and determination, with the whole world ahead of him. Physically capable and radiating the wisdom gained from years of experience, he appears ready to embrace the future. This sculpture stands as one of the greatest examples of an older individual flourishing. Indeed, it inspires us to proactively transform as we age into our greatest selves.
Art is a window to our future.
Artwork: First Survivor by Martine Vaugel.
Written by Michael Newberry.
Video and Voice created with Clipchamp.
Thanks, Michael. I remember being impressed by some of Vaugel's work some years go but on seeing this again I sought out her Web presence for more and was thrilled by the greatness of her achievements. (You can see _The First Survivor_ from other viewpoints, too.) Hers is an originality born of an uncompromising heroic spirit. This takes courage:
https://vaugelsculpture.com/en/artist/gallery
I was initially shocked and then moved to tears by her _Birth from the Heart_.
--Ralph
I recently saw the Rodin sculpture “she who was the helmet maker’s once beautiful wife”. What a contrast in concept to this one. Thank you for sharing this wonderful sculpture.