To fully appreciate the delicate designs on this snail’s body or the person inside the shell, you must come close. On approach, the whole sculpture already promises such rewards. Imagine how A Snail’s Pace might win attention in its earlier location on a busy street in New York City (2018-19)! Here are quotes, links, and photos that hint at how this work is currently part of Nature Sanctuary.

“A Snail’s Pace,” 2018. Cast silicon bronze, polychrome patina, cast acrylic, and LED lighting

“A Snail’s Pace depicts a fantastical tableau of a life-sized woman crouched within a translucent snail shell. The bronze body of the snail is covered with incised linework depicting plants and animals. The resin snail shell, a feat of engineering and strength testing, creates a watery distorted filter for viewing the female inside.” (quote from TRUSTEES Nature Sanctuary Kathy Ruttenberg, A Snail’s Pace )

“Kathy Ruttenberg’s extensive career spans over four decades and includes painting, sculpture, animation, photography, and bookmaking. Since moving to upstate New York from New York City in 1992, she has become best known for her ceramic sculptures that conjoin human (primarily female), animal, and plant-based characters. ” (quote from TRUSTEES Nature Sanctuary Kathy Ruttenberg, A Snail’s Pace )

“Born in Chicago, IL, Ruttenberg earned her BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, majoring in animation and drawing. After living in New York’s East Village, she moved to Woodstock, New York in the early 1990s. This move led to not only the expanded scale of her practice through a larger studio but also grounds where she now provides a home for dozens of rescued animals.” (quote from TRUSTEES Nature Sanctuary Kathy Ruttenberg, A Snail’s Pace )

This notice on a wall at deCordova near the entry to Lincoln Nursery School gives additional evidence of how the artist and her art relate to beings of all ages. ( Learn more about the partnership of Lincoln Nursery School with deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum)

KEY RESOURCES:

KATHY RUTTENBERG website: https://kathyruttenberg.com

TRUSTEES Nature Sanctuary Kathy Ruttenberg A Snail’s Pace: https://thetrustees.org/content/kathy-ruttenberg-snails-pace/

KATHY RUTTENBERG Kathy on Broadway, A Snail’s Pace, slide show of process: https://kathyruttenberg.com/snailspace

Nature Sanctuary Exhibit at deCordova, the Trustees: https://thetrustees.org/exhibit/nature-sanctuary/