M.L. Snowden
M.L. Snowden's life has been absolutely enveloped by sculpture. The artist's very earliest memories - virtually all waking moments-center on three-dimensional creations. Her father, the renowned George Holburn Snowden, encouraged his daughter to play in the family studio from the time she first showed interest in his art. From the age of four, she watched him with unwavering attention, enthralled and enchanted. And by the time she was seven, working in clay alongside him, was a joyous routine.
As she matured, M.L. learned the time-honored, transcendental sculpting techniques embraced by her dad; his mentor, Yale's Robert George Eberhard, had been a protégé of the great French sculptor, Auguste Rodin.
Part of this broad seminal heritage is generated by means of Rodin's original sculpting tools; a physical connection with her inheritance. The hallowed instruments -some of which the artist employs in sculpting her own works-are a grand symbol for M.L. Snowden and her patrons. They are an awe-inspiring foundation for her work, and an added impetus for support of her utter devotion and Rodin's legacy.
An Italian strain - a Michaelangelo-like "donna petrosa" effect - is exquisitely blended with it all. The artist's highly formative years (benefiting from post-graduate study grants to the Vatican Collections in Rome, the Uffizi in Florence, and the Louvre in Paris) may account for the exquisite element.
Snowden's contributions to sculpture have been acknowledged by collectors and the highest authorities alike. She was awarded the inaugural Alex Ettl Grant from the National Sculpture Society for "Lifetime Achievement in American Sculpture" at the early age of only 36. And in 1992, the world's most prestigious sculpture prize - The International Rodin Competition Special Grand Prize - was bestowed upon her for "Cataclasis". For that competition - involving a multitude of sculptors from thirty-two countries - the winner was selected without recourse to the identity of any of the candidates.
Among the many esteemed commissions accepted by the artist, the Main Altar of the new 200 million dollar Los Angeles Cathedral -dedicated in 2002 - is particularly noteworthy, as she was chosen from a field of over 8,000 international sculptors. Currently, she's been developing the central sculpture, "Flame of Liberty," for the immortal heart of the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Her most recent creations are infused with geological and universal themes, humanizing the forces of Nature with great humility. She enables viewers to feel phenomena that are otherwise inaccessible, encourages collectors to intuit meanings behind the abstract. And whether or not one has momentary contact or prolonged exposure to the artistry, purity and authenticity of her creations penetrate to the core of our higher consciousness.
An impressive list of M.L. Snowden commissions and collections can be found all over the world, including the permanent White House Presidential Art Collection.