Open House, by Jim Boyd
I make objects and sculpture in order to give life to some of my thoughts and ideas. Art is a language in itself and, as an artist, my goal is to create something that provides the possibility of a dialogue with the individual experiencing it. Carving stone has been a passion of mine for almost twenty years. I find the process of carving stone challenging and, although at times it may seem monotonous, the experience becomes restorative, as the nature of the work creates a space for reflective thought.
I created my sculpture Open House with the idea that a house can be a metaphor for a book. There are so many houses that intrigue me and I often wonder what the interiors are like and who lives in them. Houses are full of stories, memories and even secrets. A house or home has meaning and connotations for all. Personally, I find that many houses, especially older houses, have personality and a sense of mystery. It was these thoughts that compelled me to sculpt a house with the back side sawn open to reveal a moment at its core.
Open House is a hybrid of elements of houses that appeal to me. The height of the sculpture is exaggerated to give it a whimsical quality and also to present the house on a more human scale. The house presented to the viewer cannot be entered, it can only be experienced.
A graduate of NSCAD University, Jim Boyd currently combines a busy teaching career with his environmental and humanitarian ethos. At Hampton High School he is teacher advisor for the student Amnesty International Group; with his students he fundraises for AIDS Saint John; and through a recycling programme, he and fellow artist and Art teacher Glenn Hall raise enough money to make sizeable donations to charity. He still manages to create his own art, and his drawings, prints and sculptures are in many private collections across Canada. Prior to teaching, Jim worked as a stone carver and stone cutter at a granite manufacturing company. The skills he acquired there are not only evident in Open House, but also in the granite Fiddlehead which stands in front of the Saint John Arts Centre.
