There is a story about a sculptor who was renowned for his ability to create statues filled with life. After carving an amazingly lifelike image of an elephant, he was asked how he went about creating such an beautiful piece of art.
He replied,
"How do you make a statue of an elephant?
Take the biggest block of granite you can find and chip away everything that doesn't look like an elephant."
This anecdote has been attributed to many artists in many different forms over the years, most famously the Renaissance artist Michelangelo.
It is very likely that no-one ever actually said this quote, however it is a delightful tale.
This story speaks to our method and creative process.
Starting with the 'Elephant'; the end product, the vision, the idea at it's fullest potential.
Working backwards and reverse-engineering to find the path to get there.
What is in our way? What obstacles need to be cleared? What skills need to be learned?
What 'granite' do we need to 'chip away' in order to find the 'Elephant' in our work?
'Making an Elephant' also refers to the overall goal.
The refinement of one's self. The quest for perfection.
The never-ending road that self improvement tends to be.
We are constantly learning to remove the parts of
our lives, our practices, and ourselves which don't 'look like an Elephant'.
As we grow we see the 'Elephant' more clearly and are able to separate it from the 'granite'.
'Making An Elephant' is a movement-based, multi-disciplinary company formed in 2018 in London, England. Directed by Luke Lentes (www.thedukeldn.com), a dancer, choreographer, videographer, and photographer, the company works from the base of hip hop, street & club dances.
'Making An Elephant's work is inspired and driven by many different art-forms, aiming to create unique and aesthetically beautiful work, with depth and purpose.
He replied,
"How do you make a statue of an elephant?
Take the biggest block of granite you can find and chip away everything that doesn't look like an elephant."
This anecdote has been attributed to many artists in many different forms over the years, most famously the Renaissance artist Michelangelo.
It is very likely that no-one ever actually said this quote, however it is a delightful tale.
This story speaks to our method and creative process.
Starting with the 'Elephant'; the end product, the vision, the idea at it's fullest potential.
Working backwards and reverse-engineering to find the path to get there.
What is in our way? What obstacles need to be cleared? What skills need to be learned?
What 'granite' do we need to 'chip away' in order to find the 'Elephant' in our work?
'Making an Elephant' also refers to the overall goal.
The refinement of one's self. The quest for perfection.
The never-ending road that self improvement tends to be.
We are constantly learning to remove the parts of
our lives, our practices, and ourselves which don't 'look like an Elephant'.
As we grow we see the 'Elephant' more clearly and are able to separate it from the 'granite'.
'Making An Elephant' is a movement-based, multi-disciplinary company formed in 2018 in London, England. Directed by Luke Lentes (www.thedukeldn.com), a dancer, choreographer, videographer, and photographer, the company works from the base of hip hop, street & club dances.
'Making An Elephant's work is inspired and driven by many different art-forms, aiming to create unique and aesthetically beautiful work, with depth and purpose.
