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 interested in the political. “I present landscape and landforms as images to critique human nature; our need to overlay everything with notions of identity, or productivity or settlement. The consequences are environmental and these consequences issue from nationalism, greed, ignorance and also sometimes from culture or love”.
Working with an eclectic range of media ranging from ceramics, bronze, stone and volcanic basalt, Woodward’s sculptures are subtly integrated into the landscape, rather than starkly imposing on it.
Born in Montreal, Canada, Woodward began marble carving in Italy by working alongside artisans tasked to scale up sculptures for artists including César Baldaccini, Barry Flanagan, Helaine Blumenfeld and Michelangelo Pistoletto. He moved to New Zealand in 1984 and since then has produced numerous public stone sculpture commissions in China and New Zealand.
Selected Public Art, Commissions, observations and symposia
2023 Work with March Lebanon in Tripoli green line teaching stone work with troubled young adults (3 months).
2022 Travels to Lebanon, discussions with NGO March Lebanon, meet artists.
2021 Hine Amua, Manurewa West Primary School, Auckland, NZ.
2019 Lecture and workshop at Lebanese American University, Beirut October 19th. at onset of rebellion. Sunflower movement.
2018 Slow Dynamics, Spinning Figure, Mountain, Valley. Yuli Township for east coast rift valley scenic park, Taiwan.
2018 Shimmy Shake 2, Zheng Zhou city sculpture park, Henan province, China.
2017 Shimmy Shake for Suide municipality mountain park, Shaanxi Province, China (symposium).
2016 Travels to Montreal, Paris, Florence, Istanbul, Beirut, Shanghai and Taipei.
2015 Clip, Tool, Heart of Stumps, Hobsonville Point Auckland NZ.
2014 Spinning Figure, Taipei University, Taipei, Taiwan. Volunteer to clean up rubbish during student occupation of Parliament.
Le Mystère Abominable”, Place des Cocotiers, Mairie de Nouméa, Nouvelle Calédonie (symposium).
2013 Taksim, Cankaya Municipality, Ankara, Turkey (probably destroyed after the uprising) (symposium).
2012 One Hand Clapping, Kinmen Island, Taiwan (Zhongshan Park Project, Shanghai Biennale).
2011 Travels to Italy and Lebanon (6 months).
2008-09 step touch stone, St Patrick’s Square, Auckland, NZ.
2006 Wai Tahurangi Bridge, Olympic Park, New Lynn, Auckland, NZ.
2006 Pacific Islands, Kaoshiung, Taiwan, (symposium).
2004-05 Stand Turn Spin, Trust Stadium, Waitakere Stadium, Henderson, Auckland, NZ.
2005 San Rin To, Ningen Hiroba, Sekigahara, Japan.
2004 River Stick, Shanghai Sculpture Park, Shanghai, China.
2003 River Sticks, Yuzi Paradise Sculpture Park, Guilin, China (symposium).
1999-00 Growth, City Hall Station, Taipei, Taiwan.
1992-94 Dilworth Cross
Personal Exhibitions
2015 Taksim, Barrel Store, Corban Estate, Auckland, NZ.
2011 Landshapes, Whitespace Contemporary Art, Auckland, NZ.
2009 Thieves’ Garden, Whitespace Gallery, Auckland, NZ.
2005 See Toy, Whitespace Gallery, Auckland, NZ.
1994 Fragments of myth, Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney, Australia.
1992 Fragments of myth, Ferner Gallery, Auckland, NZ.
1991 Little Boy Big Boy Bridge, Rotorua Art and History Museum, Rotorua.
Birds and Figures, Claybrook Gallery, Auckland, NZ.
Recent works, Ferner Gallery, Auckland, NZ
1989 People, horses and Ships, Waikato Art and History Museum, Hamilton.
1988 Painless Waves, Dowse Art Museum, Lower Hutt, NZ.
Group exhibitions (selected)
2019-20 Sculpture in the Gardens, Auckland Botanical Gardens. (Cubare - Recline, Absent, Prune).
2018 Cava, ARKAD, Seravezza, Lu. Italy. (Coeur de Pomme).
2017 Hidden in the Island, Moca-Taipei. Taipei, Taiwan. (one skin three stones one stone three skins).
2016 ADLEMACKESHTAN, Corban Art Estate Gallery, Auckland, NZ (Refuge, White Prune, Rocking Horse).
2014 Monumental Pasifik'Art, Promenade Jean Vernier, Nouméa, Nouvelle Calédonie. (Le Mystère Abominable).
2013 Summer of sculpture, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland Waterfront, NZ (Spinning Tiers).
2012 Melbourne Sculpture Prize, Melbourne, Australia. (White Prune).
2007-08 Sculpture in the Garden, Botanic gardens, Auckland, NZ. (Kuri Topiari)
2007 Sculpture on the Gulf, Waiheke Island, Auckland, NZ. (Spinning Tiers)
