From: A. Wasil
Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2005 10:17 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Fw: SignOnSanDiego.com News North
County -- New statue graces mission's cemetery
---------- Forwarded Message -----------
From: awasil@oneworkstation.com
To: awasil@oneworkstation.com
Sent: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 22:09:05 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: SignOnSanDiego.com News North County -- New statue graces
mission's cemetery
By Linda McIntosh
UNION-TRIBUNE COMMUNITY NEWS WRITER
The
The 15-foot-tall bronze statue, "Assumption of Mary," was years in
the making.
It was a gift from the late Amelia Irvine, a longtime supporter of the
mission.
"She was smitten by the work and wanted to do something in reverence of
Mary," said Ed Gabarra, the mission's
administrator.
Wasil recalled talking with
To flesh out the idea, Wasil prepared drawing after drawing and met with
"Creating the idea is the biggest part," Wasil said. "You're
taking an inert material like bronze and making it come to life. That happens
in design."
The design phase took many months. In addition to the drawings, Wasil made
clay and wax models to work on the smallest details.
"Nothing in the sculpture is accidental. Every part has a purpose and
says something, from the way the hand points, to the way the hair goes,"
Wasil said.
The statue sits on a 6-foot-high base bearing a plaque in memory of
It is one of five of Wasil's works at the mission,
including "The Mother of Consolation."
"When you make something out of bronze, which can last thousands of
years, you have a kind of responsibility. You want to make something worthy of
being on the planet that long," Wasil said.
Unfortunately,
She died last year.
The statue is in the Queen of Peace section of the mission's cemetery.
The cemetery was opened to people of all faiths in 1980. It has been under
the care of the Franciscan friars since 1798, when the mission was founded.
For Wasil, the goal of his art, wherever it stands, is much the same.
"I want my work to be accessible, to be inviting. I don't want people
to stand back. I want them to come closer," Wasil said.
For information about the cemetery, at
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A. Wasil
awasil@oneworkstation.com
A. Wasil and Associates
843 Tenth Avenue, Suite A
San Diego, Ca. 92101
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