Stephen Woodward / Chris Van Doren
Apoplexis, 2021
Portugese limestone, Rajasthan sandstone, granite, basalt, stainless steel
Approximately 3000mm tall
In a playful, trusting collaboration between two artists, the curious multi-coloured and multi-media tower of Apoplexis was created. Working both individually and in partnership, the intuitive act of perforating, carving and stacking of stones became a crucial part of the artwork. As close friends, both artists frame the experience fondly. Stephen Woodward recalls:
“We normally do not produce art working collaboratively with others. In this case it just happened. We casually talked about it and a few days later we started. Some days Chris would work by himself, some days I would, with spontaneous decisions on sequence and shape being made in full confidence. Most of the time we worked together and it went very well, it was easy. It is to a great extent an intuitive work and this easy combination of two individual’s approach was made possible in part because we left our normal practice, cultural references and present individual directions at the door.”
The title itself Apoplexis comes from the Greek word meaning ‘stroke’ which was historically used in medical terminology to refer to a rupture or haemorrhage within the body, causing immediate loss of the ability to communicate or move. But the term might also be understood in a more metaphorical sense; referring to the sudden changes, unsettling encounters and tragic circumstances that we may each endure in the course of a lifetime, resulting in a somewhat changed emotional state. Woodward lists some examples; “…the brutal end of a spectacular love affair, the numbing of the mind at the loss of a child, the empty gut after the defeat of a favourite sports franchise, the debilitating effect of embarrassment of a misplaced comment.”
Woodward continues to describe the act of naming the sculpture: “the title came very early on...as we intended some form of explosion or fireworks at the top of a columnar stack. It is a wonderful ‘gymnastic’ sounding word for the acrobatics we face or might face at some point. Although Apoplexis can be perceived as having a somewhat dark meaning it was nevertheless composed and completed in freedom and joy.”
More from this artist
Artist Bio
Sculptor Stephen Woodward’s practice is primarily focused on the political, with his work using landscape and landforms as images to critique human nature, particularly our need to impose identity, productivity, and settlement on the natural world. Woodward explores the environmental consequences that stem from nationalism, greed, ignorance, and even culture and love. His work is created from an eclectic range of media, including ceramics, bronze, stone, and volcanic basalt, with his sculptures often subtly integrated into the landscape, rather than imposing on it.
Born in Montreal, Canada, Woodward began his artistic journey in Italy, where he worked alongside artisans who scaled sculptures for artists such as César Baldaccini, Barry Flanagan, Helaine Blumenfeld, and Michelangelo Pistoletto. He moved to New Zealand in 1984, and since then, has created numerous public stone sculpture commissions in both China and New Zealand.
His recent work includes several international projects and exhibitions. In 2023, he worked with March Lebanon in Tripoli, teaching stone work to troubled young adults. In 2022, he traveled to Lebanon for discussions with NGO March Lebanon and met with local artists. Notable commissions include Hine Amua at Manurewa West Primary School in Auckland in 2021, and in 2019 he gave a lecture and workshop at Lebanese American University in Beirut. His work in Taiwan includes Slow Dynamics, Spinning Figure, Mountain, Valley in 2018 for the East Coast Rift Valley Scenic Park, and Shimmy Shake 2 in Zheng Zhou City Sculpture Park, Henan Province, China. Other significant works include Shimmy Shake for Suide Municipality Mountain Park, Shaanxi Province, China in 2017, and Echo of the Loop in Doha Jigu, commissioned by Incheon City Council in Korea.
Woodward’s art has been featured in numerous solo exhibitions, including Taksim at Corban Estate in Auckland in 2015, and Landshapes at Whitespace Contemporary Art in 2011. His public commissions include works in locations such as Wai Tahurangi Bridge in Olympic Park, New Lynn, Auckland (2006), Stand Turn Spin at Trust Stadium, Waitakere, Auckland (2004-2005), and River Stick at Shanghai Sculpture Park (2004). He has also been involved in many group exhibitions, such as Sculpture in the Gardens at Auckland Botanical Gardens (2019-2020), and Melbourne Sculpture Prize in 2012, where his work White Prune was featured.
Woodward's sculptures can be found in numerous public collections, including the Dunedin Public Art Gallery, Chartwell Collection at Auckland Art Gallery, and the James Wallace Art Trust, among others. His career continues to evolve with a focus on creating sculptures that engage with both the environment and the complex political contexts of the modern world.
