By Jeffrey Sterr

For many University students, choosing academic programs and deciding on a career often means pursuing trends, seeking financial stability, and fulfilling parental and social expectations.

But for full-time sculptor Ryan McCourt (1997 BFA, Sculpture and Photography; 1999 MFA, Sculpture), pursuing his education and career has never been about any of that.

Twelve years ago, as a first-year archaeology student, McCourt asked himself questions that led to his decision to pursue a career as an artist. “While archaeologists are digging up the treasures of the ancients, who’s making artifacts for future generations to admire? Will those people look back favourably on the same great cultures that we do, and what will their judgment be of the culture of our time? What are we leaving behind?

Inspired to leave something of note behind, McCourt changed his major. But he concedes that becoming a sculptor hasn’t been just about  trying to affect other people’s lives, nor has it solely been a noble attempt at deepening cultural activity. Sculpting has also been, he says, a matter of personal fulfillment, individual freedom, and self-definition.

“Altruism aside,” he explains, “making sculpture is intellectually stimulating work, requiring creativity and critical thinking.” He adds, “Making art is also generally a solitary endeavour, and whether I choose to work independently or collaboratively, I’m always my own boss, and I work on my own schedule.”

Oxy-acetylene torches, chop saws, and MIG welders are essential to his creations; McCourt uses them as tools to sculpt mild steel and various other metals–from cast iron to stainless steel and even brass–into public and private artwork, selling them to make a living.

McCourt says his current sculptures are developing along two paths: architectural and figurative. His architectural works are literal references to everyday objects such as musical instruments, buildings, machines, and furniture, which are blended and abstracted, resulting in ambiguous, multi-referential works. His figurative works, on the other hand, refer to traditional sculpture from a variety of cultures. Some small-scaled works, for example, have been inspired by Hindu sculpture, which represent the elephant-headed Ganesha, he says.

McCourt’s larger works have taken the form of the head and shoulders bust, presenting figurative frontal features changing dramatically to abstraction when viewed from the rear. He adds that his largest works have been life-sized figures representing archetypal characters, with a current work in progress that will eventually represent a horse and mounted rider. These figurative works, often consisting of industrial parts that he scavenges, retain some of the character of their former industrial usage.

Yet at the same time, these industrial elements have been transformed into something uniquely human: “My works tend to be on a scale that relates to the human figure, which makes the sculptures approachable, even interactive. Invariably with the larger pieces, people tend to be impressed by the size and weight of the sculptures and the amount of labour that obviously went into them.”

Reflecting on his educational experience at the U of A, McCourt recalls his thesis exhibition as especially memorable. During the installation of the show, he had to drive a forklift through HUB mall one Sunday afternoon, sawing through a carpeted wheelchair ramp to get close enough to the gallery. The he had to drop the sculptures into the gallery through the windows. When he was done, he had to make it appear as though none of it ever happened.

Over the years, McCourt has come to realize the value of his BFA and MFA despite the fact that he could have taken a different route.

“Those degrees represent important developmental periods of intense study, experimentation, and focus on the nature of art. Anyone can be an artist, with or without a degree, but to me, my MFA signifies the serious commitment and level of accomplishment that anyone holding a master’s degree in any field brings to their profession.”

“A Modern Outlook,” McCourt’s latest commissioned piece, was recently installed at the Edmonton head office of All Weather Windows (18550-118A Ave) (see photo). His North Edmonton Sculpture Workshop is located at 10549-116 St. and various works are on virtual display at www.telusplanet.net/public/rmccourt.