ARTIST STATEMENT
My work combines my passion for women’s sports, woodworking, and sculpture. I have always enjoyed working with wood and recently incorporated both the vintage female trophy toppers and light to create this series. The tie to the theme of connectivity is two-fold; there is the obvious connection by touching the trophy topper to turn on the light and there is also a connection to the past by using an older trophy that embodies a facet of women’s sports history. We are the beneficiaries of the work from the women that competed in athletics before us. Without their achievements and advocacy for the right to compete, we would not have the opportunities that we do today. I work to honor their history by creating objects that bring past items back to life in novel ways. Working with wood allows me to create what I envision into a three-dimensional object. Wood has a sculptural, organic natural beauty and the glass and light bring it all to life. I am estimating that the Hoop Dreams trophy is from the 1930s based on her dress, hairstyle, and the look of the basketball. For this piece, I hand crafted the base so that it looks like a wood court of her day. The bulb is an abstraction of a hoop, and its look adds a dreamy quality to the piece. Dreaming of Gold captures the intense and powerful moment just before she releases her hold from the diving platform. Touch the trophy to turn on the bulb within the diving well.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Cindy Dick was raised in an artistic family and was always surrounded by art. She was a multi-sport athlete, and it wasn’t until college that she started to explore her creative side. While in college, she had a serendipitous opportunity to work with sculptor Joseph Ascrizzi who taught her wood carving, gold leafing, how to work with glass and natural materials. She specializes in wood carving and has created unique, handcrafted frames for paintings that were sold in a Santa Fe gallery. She started incorporating trophies when her Aunt was visiting Germany and asked Cindy if she could use them. She loves vintage materials and was drawn to the hidden stories behind each trophy. This work has allowed her to combine two loves, promoting women’s sports and creating beautiful, unique works. Cindy resides in Phoenix, Arizona with her dog.
© Cindy Dick