BRUCE NAIGLES I SCULPTOR
"The subject of Bruce's work is often simple and reveals to us an introspective side of human nature. His nearly minimalistic scultures manage to attract and keep the attention of the viewer. As one views the sculptures from different angles, bodily and facial expressions seem to change, unveiling nuances and details that remain otherwise hidden.
There is an intimacy and warmth to his interpretations of his human figures. Even when he turns to mythological themes, for example "The 3 Graces", who symbolize the eternal feminine principle, he retains these qualities. In this sense he's chosen a different way than his greatest influence, Rodin. While Rodin takes the simple subjects and lifts them up to a heroic or divine dimension, Bruce is devoted to finding the divinity in everyday life.
The figure of "Sleeping Venus" is an excellent example. When looking at it, I'm reminded of the feeling I get by gazing at someone I love while they are unaware of it. This unawareness allows you to see with a genuine tenderness and experience an almost divine quality within them. This is exactly why I consider Bruce to be a very important artist. The modern world is restless, demanding, and leaves little time for reflection. Bruce invites us to stop and take some time to appreciate that which is close to us". -Natalie Holland, painter, London
"Bruce's work captures and explores the value of human connections, situating even the solitary figures in relationship to the human community. With intensity and grace, Naigles exposes the powerful fragility of courage and compassion while imbuing his figures with a calm certainty that is captivating". -Dr. Tami Carmichael, professor and director of Humanities & Integrated Studies, University of North Dakota
.... With his works in stone, plaster, and bronze, not to mention chalk on paper, Bruce Naigles takes a de-heroicized approach to sculpture, characterized by a soft discerning sensuality whose carnal side is constituted in an indeterminate field between - - Rodin and Lucian Freud.
Naigles appears as an atypical, male contemporary sculptor, with his warm humanism and the light - almost humorous - romantic gesture, rooted in European renaissance and Oriental, only partially Hellenistic, influences. (Translated from the Swedish original)
-Håkon Sandell, Swedish poet and art critic