​​​​GLENN OSTERGAARD​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​                     Sculpture & Paintings

A brief overview of my sculptural journey:

 

1975 was a year when I took a break from painting. Minimalism was all the rage

and I found myself stepping away from the canvas. I had recently met the esteemed American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham. During a chat, Martha suggested that since I loved working with my hands, I try sculpting.

 

I started experimenting and accidentally stumbled upon the “pillows.” When I made the first one, I hurried to Martha’s to show her my creation. We sat on her sofa with the “pillow” between us. After a brief discussion, Martha suggested I had made my egg and questioned what I was going to do with it? As she often did, Martha reminded me not to get too caught up in what I had done but to focus on what’s next.

 

Over the subsequent seven years, I dedicated myself to refining these sculptures, initially crafted in plaster, which rendered them inherently fragile. The reception to my pillow sculpture was positive, and as exhibitions gradually emerged, I received consistent encouragement.

 

In early 1980, I resumed painting, which was an enlightening experience and reignited my passion for the medium. I have never stopped and enjoy incorporating both painting and sculpting into my journey.

 

In 2012, it was suggested I explore the use of a water-based resin as a substitute for plaster. Initially, this posed a challenge, but after restructuring my process, I embraced this new medium. Since then, I have consistently utilized the resin, resulting in incredibly robust and durable pillows. Over the years, the pillow pieces grew taller and larger, surpassing my initial expectations.

 

After a hiatus from sculpture during the COVID-19 pandemic, I returned to sculpture with a different approach thus, the series of maquette displayed on this website. Two new different series are currently in development.