Monumental Gesture explores the expressive power of  sculpture through a series of black-and-white photographs of Boston's public monuments. More specifically, it examines how a moment of sculptural gesture creates implied meaning and movement. By focusing on gesture theory, this project reveals how these carefully crafted poses serve as symbolic communicators of a monument's deeper significance.

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The photographs in this series are carefully composed studies that emphasize how body language and positioning in sculpture function as a powerful language of communication, creating a visual choreography These gestures hold the key to understanding the emotional and symbolic intentions behind each work.

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Sculptural gestures function as powerful symbolic communicators. Each pose, carefully chosen and executed by the sculptor, distills the monument’s deeper significance into a single moment of intentional expression. These gestures are not decorative embellishments but are essential carriers of meaning, creating a bridge between the sculpture and its viewer. By capturing these gestures, the project underscores their capacity to evoke emotional, cultural, and historical resonance. Gesture as meaning

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The project consists of 50 frames featuring 20 different monuments in and around Boston. Each selection focuses on a crucial gesture that serves as the sculptor's primary vehicle for meaning. These are not merely decorative poses; they are decisive moments where the sculptor concentrated the monument's entire narrative into a single, intentional movement. By focusing on these key gestures, the project draws attention to the core message each monument is meant to communicate.

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Several subjects in the series are presented through multi-frame studies from various angles, illustrating how a single gestural choice resonates differently depending on the viewer's position. This approach underscores the dynamic nature of public monuments, which engage with their surroundings and audiences from multiple viewpoints.

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The decision to photograph these monuments in black and white was intentional. Removing the distraction of color allows the focus to remain on the sculptural forms and the interplay of light and shadow. The tonal contrasts highlight the three-dimensional qualities of the sculptures, emphasizing their material presence and enhancing the viewer's experience of the form captures light, The interplay of light and shadow creates emergent patterns, depth, and mood that transcend the physical scene. Similar in nature as how the gesture transcends material meaning .

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In keeping with one of my practices of creating photographic projects rooted in research, I used Rudolf Wittkower's Sculpture: Processes and Principles as a foundational reference for this project. Wittkower’s insights into the principles of sculptural form provided a framework for understanding how gestures are embedded in static forms to convey movement and emotion.

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These works do more than commemorate historical figures; they actively participate in dialogues about public memory, civic values, and societal identity. Monumental Gesture is a contribution to this ongoing civic conversation from the perspective of a photographer and visual artist passionate about engaging with the layers of meaning that monuments bring to public spaces

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