Ram

This sculpture of a Ram was carved in limestone by William Edmondson, sometime in the mid-twentieth century. Edmondson, who lived and worked in Nashville, Tennessee, had no formal training. He supported himself in a variety of manual jobs, including working at a limestone quarry. After a vision, he began to carve stone, making tombstones and garden ornaments. You can see how Edmondson has respected the blocky nature of the stone in this sculpture. He retained the material’s inherent qualities of weight and density, and only roughly shaped the surface. Limestone is relatively soft, but carving it still demands physical effort. The simplicity of the work speaks to this direct engagement with the material, and the artist’s intimate knowledge of it. Edmondson’s work sits outside the usual categories. It is not quite folk art, not quite modern sculpture. By considering the material and the making, we can appreciate Edmondson’s unique vision, which transcends such boundaries.