stephen woodward / chris van doren

Apoplexis, 2021
Portugese limestone, Rajasthan sandstone, granite, basalt, stainless steel
Approximately 3000mm tall
Price on request

In a playful, trusting collaboration between two artists, the curious multi-coloured and multi-media tower of Apoplexis was created. Working both individually and in partnership, the intuitive act of perforating, carving and stacking of stones became a crucial part of the artwork. As close friends, both artists frame the experience fondly. Stephen Woodward recalls:

“We normally do not produce art working collaboratively with others. In this case it just happened. We casually talked about it and a few days later we started. Some days Chris would work by himself, some days I would, with spontaneous decisions on sequence and shape being made in full confidence. Most of the time we worked together and it went very well, it was easy. It is to a great extent an intuitive work and this easy combination of two individual’s approach was made possible in part because we left our normal practice, cultural references and present individual directions at the door.”

The title itself Apoplexis comes from the Greek word meaning ‘stroke’ which was historically used in medical terminology to refer to a rupture or haemorrhage within the body, causing immediate loss of the ability to communicate or move.  But the term might also be understood in a more metaphorical sense; referring to the sudden changes, unsettling encounters and tragic circumstances that we may each endure in the course of a lifetime, resulting in a somewhat changed emotional state. Woodward lists some examples; “…the brutal end of a spectacular love affair, the numbing of the mind at the loss of a child, the empty gut after the defeat of a favourite sports franchise, the debilitating effect of embarrassment of a misplaced comment.”

Woodward continues to describe the act of naming the sculpture: “the title came very early on...as we intended some form of explosion or fireworks at the top of a columnar stack. It is a wonderful ‘gymnastic’ sounding word for the acrobatics we face or might face at some point. Although Apoplexis can be perceived as having a somewhat dark meaning it was nevertheless composed and completed in freedom and joy.”