Herb Ferris’s large sculptures are minimal in style, yet have elements that are somehow reminiscent of simplified landscape features. This evocation of nature, combined with the natural media, makes Ferris’s work particularly suitable for placement in gardens, both public and private. The simplicity of form is belied by the power Ferris has empowered it with to affect the course of the viewer’s emotions. Elegant and thought provoking, the pieces rise dramatically from the earth,.the length of the lines producing a graceful silhouette against the sky. Herb Ferris was born in Montclair, New Jersey in 1944. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Yale University and Master of Fine Arts from Indiana University. For over thirty years, Ferris created two-dimensional artworks, having many exhibitions of his paintings on the east coast. Influenced by the Japanese style, he turned to sculpture in the 1990s, carving pieces in wood. His first works were done for a large installation at the Hood Museum at Dartmouth College. The installation was used as a site for dance performances by choreographers in Northampton, at M.I.T. and at Middlebury College, where Ferris later created pieces for their dance department. In the late 1990s, Ferris began combining other natural media, such as stone, with his wood sculpture. Ferris’ works have been collected extensively. Public collections include the Montclair Museum, New Jersey; National Museum of American Art (Smithsonian), Washington, D. C.; Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Quechee; Five Rivers Metro Parks, Dayton, Ohio; and Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, among others. He has works in private gardens throughout the United States. | | 
Heart of Gold, 2006
Eastern white pine, gold leaf, steel
17"
On Loan courtesy of the Artist and The Sculpture Foundation |
