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Artist Statement. Jan 2017
My stone carvings (in alabaster and marble) usually
abstract a narrative that is rattling around in my head. I love
the inherent geometric and physical challenge of removing just enough
stone to distill the story and intrigue the viewer. It is amusing
to associate body parts with personal stories and business deals.
The title of a work is usually a cryptic or humorous reference to
the back story.
In terra cotta (water-based clay), I start with the
gesture but I like to exaggerate the model’s mental or emotional
state by shifting the clay figure into another environment. The
implied narrative warms the piece instead of leaving the model out
in the cold.
My recent attempts at acrylic painting explore abstraction
at the beginning rather than the end of a work. Unlike representational
work where the perfect result defies me to get it right, abstract
work requires thought, analysis, composition, and willingness to
ruthlessly discard and redo again and again, all in the hope of
making something that captures the viewer's attention and imagination.
Bio
Joel Koppelman is an artist who lives, sculpts and
paints in Santa Monica. Most of his stone sculpture has narrative
elements that are often woven around body parts. His clay work is
figurative that serves an invented narrative while his abstract
paintings are still devoid of a script.
Before moving from Philadelphia in 2016, Joel took
many years of continuing education classes in stone carving at the
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) with Steve Nocella and
in terra cotta with Colleen O’Donnell whose knowledge, guidance
and encouragement continue to inspire him. Joel exhibited for years
at the annual Continuing Education juried shows at PAFA, and won
a few awards over the years. In addition to working in his studio,
Joel enjoys weekly classes in figurative drawing and sculpting,
and abstract painting at the Brentwood Art Center.
Joel was co-founder and CEO of the leading project
management software company, Primavera Systems, from 1983 until
2008 when it acquired by Oracle. As SVP and GM, he ran the Oracle
Primavera Global Business Unit until 2011 when he retired to concentrate
on making art. Joel holds a BA in Civil Engineering from Drexel
University and an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the
University of Pennsylvania. Until moving west, he was an active
member of the Boards of Drexel University (6 years), Opera Philadelphia
(6 years) and PAFA (3 years).
Joel was born and raised in Philadelphia. Joel and
his wife Sharon have four children, Sandy, Nora, David and Rick.
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