Artist Statement
My dear Friend Staci Lola Drouillard helped craft my thoughts and words for this statement! Thanks Stace! “I’m here at the design table, working on the biggest collection in my career. Over and over again, it’s all about the stones. It’s all about the lake. It’s all about the desert and that long, long horizon. Most of these gemstones were found on the surface of the earth, right in front of me. They come from the shores of Lake Superior, or the ancient, arid soil of the desert. And they always make themselves known to me. I’ve never been one to dig. My philosophy is, “if it’s there, then it’s meant to be.” I love the idea that these are not mined Stones, (not to judge those that work with mined stones) But there is too much mindless gemstone mining in the world. Many of the stones I use are often unpolished. The natural surface is kept just as I found them. I may shape them a bit, or polish certain planes of the stone, but mostly these gems are presented in their natural forms. The best work has already been done by the same higher power that brought them to me. It is a gift, and a mystery. Many of the Southwestern desert stones, like turquoise, are transformed from rough material, working them only enough to let their inherent beauty shine! There is great beauty in raw stone. Over the last 20 years my work has turned toward figurative landscape sculpture born of being a Regionalist, one who works with and creates with the visual beauty and with me the raw resources of a Region. Reminders of how precarious our time is, here on earth. Water and stone. Water….the blood of the earth stone…. with all its muscle and sinewy strength. Timeless and very close to invincible. May you find surprises inside this exploration of stones and landscape. This is not jewelry for every day, but for the strongest, and most mighty of days. For the last 20 years I’ve reinvented ways to showcase these sculptural pieces. My intent is to keep them out of drawers and off dresser tops and be enjoyed every day. Some are framed and some stand on stones. All these pieces have a story to tell about where they came from. May these gifts and mysteries speak to you, as they have spoken to me.
Stephan Höglund, 2024
