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Isotelus maximus
Medium – Cast bronze on a
marble base
Dimensions – L 12” X W 8” X H 9”
Limited edition of 25
I have always been
attracted to the field of paleontology. As a boy I whiled
away many hours playing in the woods and creeks on our
farm and collecting the fossils found there. As an adult,
I received a Bachelors of Arts degree from Miami
University in the field of geology. One aspect of geology
that attracted me to the field was the study of
prehistoric life. Isotelus maximus is a sculpture of a trilobite. This sculpture
reflects my interest in paleontology and my early training as
a Geologist.
Trilobites were a diverse group of arthropods that became
extinct in the late Paleozoic. They are common fossils found
in rocks from the Ordovician Period. This piece includes two
species of trilobites. The bottom of the sculpture is a cast
taken from a piece of fossiliferous limestone to which I added
casts of a small trilobite, Flexicalymene meeki. Rising off of
and dominating this piece is Isotelus maximus. Isotelus
maximus was one of the largest trilobites that ever lived,
reaching lengths of almost two feet. Based on research that I
did prior to starting this work I also sculpted the ventral
morphology of this Trilobite in some detail, including the
hypostome, gills, ventral segmenation, antenna and legs. I
have seen many fossils of this organism; it is fun to see how
they may have looked in life.
I finished this piece this piece with a richly mottled patina
that adds an additional element of realism. It compares
favorably with living horseshoe crabs. |
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