Return from the Hunt Possibly 1908

John J Boyle made this bronze sculpture, Return from the Hunt, and I can really see the traces of how the artist formed it. The marks made by hand and tools are clearly visible in the clay which gives it a really raw, tactile feel. I love how the surface is not smoothed or polished, but rough and textured. You can see the artist's fingerprints and the marks of the sculpting tools, which really emphasizes the physicality of the medium. If you look closely at the figure's face you can see how Boyle has built up the form with small touches of clay. For me, the surface of this piece is a reminder that art is a conversation between the artist and the medium, and that the finished product is really just a record of that process. I think about artists like Medardo Rosso who also really reveled in the surface of things. Both artists remind me that art is not just about representing the world, but about exploring the possibilities of the medium.