"The figure of her new self leaves the remnant of her past self...
this work is a silent hymn to transformation."

Chrysalis - The capsule from which a butterfly develops. Anything in an undeveloped or transitory stage.
Nova - Feminine of novus (Latin), meaning new.

I consider this piece an artistic milestone for me. It represents much of what I have learned from working with acrylic over the past 20 plus years – and it represents what I think is a beautiful synthesis of technological advancement and artistic innovation.

There is a history to this work. Chrysalis, the third acrylic sculpture that I did, back in 1986, has a title and theme similar to this new work. For whatever reason, though – perhaps my newness to the medium – it was not a great success with collectors. Despite this, I still like the piece and the idea behind it very much. And while the theme of transformation has never been far from my thinking in my art, I never thought about devoting another work to it explicitly – until I made a discovery. That discovery is a new kind of embedment (an image inside) with a new look that I find perfect for this theme. With this discovery in mind, I revisited the idea of transformation in Chrysalis Nova and, for me, there is a kind of poetry to it all. It is as though, by depicting it in this new way, I am giving a second life to a theme that never got the success it deserved.

If you look into the sculpture you can see the embedded image that represents a shed skin. Its surface is cracked and broken at the edges. This is symbolic of an unwanted part that the woman on the outside of the sculpture has shed. The figure of her new self leaves the remnant of her past self and emerges from the sculpture, much the way a butterfly would from a cocoon, or a chrysalis. On the outside of the sculpture, beside the emerging female figure, the polished viewing surface is outlined in the stylized shape of a butterfly wing – a feature that quietly adds to the theme.

Chrysalis Nova is about shedding a part of one’s self that needs shedding and becoming a better version of who one already is. It is an homage to our capacity to transform ourselves anew and to direct our lives.

Summary and Features of Note in the Artwork:

The figure on the front of the work emerges anew from the sculpture form, as a butterfly would emerge from a chrysalis. Note the stylized shape of a butterfly’s wing