With his chisel, Mosley exalts the warm tones and woodgrain which lay beneath the outer tree bark. His dimensions vary, ranging from monumental to modest, rounded to angular, vaulted to hovering just above the ground. Their presence is determined by Mosley’s negotiation between natural materials and an exploration of weight and space. A feat of balance, his sculptures exist in a constant state of suspension: heavy sections seem to float above the delicately-carved pieces that support them.
The 96-year old Pittsburgh-based artist has been sculpting felled logs for over six decades. Working primarily in hardwoods of walnut, cherry, and sycamore sourced from tree surgeons or from the city’s Forestry Division, Mosley allows the natural forms of wood to guide him toward a conceptual and aesthetic meeting point. “I think that all art should have a little mystery, so that people will be drawn to figure out how you did it, you know. And I think that, for me, that’s what art is all about,”
Mosley’s works can be seen in his solo exhibition at Karma Gallery in Manhattan, New York
