LAZARUS II
2024, Bronze, 6’ x 32”W x 32”
Rubin designed “Lazarus II,” a 6 ft. bronze sculpture for the Branch Museum of Design in Richmond, Va. Biomorphically shaped, “Lazarus II” includes fluid abstract forms derived from nature. A dynamically curved shape rising from intersecting planes creates a sense of organized tension. Sharply jutting geometric forms in the lower portion counterbalance a stable core to project an upward thrust of visual energy. The interplay of flat surfaces pierced with open circles creates a soaring sense of levity. Essential to the work is tension: the clustering of geometric forms colliding and pushing each other higher. Incised lines, energetic carving, and verdigris patinas hint at antiquity and survival.
Patina applied to Lazarus II
Welding segments of Lazarus II
“Architecturally and structurally, the Branch is a statement of endurance. It was designed and built for the ages. My bronze sculpture is a contemporary expression of that urge toward permanence and survival.”
A Tudor Revival landmark built in 1919 and designed by architect John Russell Pope (who designed the Jefferson Memorial and National Gallery in Washington, DC and Richmond, Virginia’s Broad Street Train Station. “The Museum is solidly horizontal and rooted. By contrast, my bronze sculpture is vertical and soaring. At opposite ends of a visual axis, they work together to create an emotional arc,” Rubin notes. “Architecturally and structurally, the Branch is a statement of endurance. It was designed and built for the ages. My bronze sculpture is a contemporary expression of that urge toward permanence and survival.”