Location: United States
Dora Natella
Bio
Born in Venezuela of Italian heritage, Natella was raised and educated in Italy. She studied sculpture in the classical tradition at the academy of Fine Arts in Naples. Later she moved to the United States for advanced studies in bronze casting techniques and for the opportunity to immerse herself in a new culture with fewer direct connections to a classical past. She went on to earn an MFA in sculpture at Western Michigan University, and has continued a practice that includes both teaching at the collegiate level as well as her own work in the studio.
Natella presently serves on the faculty of Indiana University, South Bend. In her work, she maintains and allegiance to a legacy of the figurative tradition from the Renaissance but with an openness to contemporary modes of expression.
The human body has been one of the central subjects investigated by artists throughout history. Our view of the body has been impacted by philosophy, science, history and culture. I am fascinated with the human landscape it’s so rich in metaphor and varied in form. It changes so dramatically from person to person. Typically I begin modeling from direct observation of a live model. This approach gives me a lot of information readily at hand. In the end I have to consciously abandon the model and go for what feels right. Often I change or enhance certain features to convey the feeling of the sculpture rather than make it look precisely like a particular sitter.In "Overseer", for instance, the female figure standing on top of a 10 feet tall log, appears confident and strong, like a column; while her placement transforms the viewers perception of the surrounding space.
“Overseer”
“Overseer detail”
“overseer detail”
