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Owen C. Williams, Sculptor
"Pan," 4V2X4X5V2 inches. Sterling silver mounted on stone that is covered with small shells and minute starfish.
O w e n C . W illiam s, sculptor R ic h a rd A . L e w is
And that dismal cry rose slowly And sank slowly through the air. Full of spirit's melancholy And eternity's despair! And they heard the words it said"Pan is deadl-Creat Pan is deadPan, Pan is dead.” — E l i z a b e t h B arrett B r o w n i n g O n t h e c o n t r a r y , P a n is a l i v e , a s a r e o t h e r m y th o lo g ic a l a n d b ib lic a l c h a ra c te rs w h ic h a T u c s o n , A riz , d e n tis t-s c u lp to r has re c re a te d a s s m a ll s c u l p t u r e d f i g u r e s n o m o r e t h a n s ix in c h e s l o n g a n d f iv e in c h e s ta ll. B e fo re e n te rin g th e B a y lo r C o lle g e o f D e n t is t r y in 1 9 5 7 , O w e n C . W i l l i a m s , 3 7 , h a d s t u d ie d a rt. H is c r e a t iv e d e s ir e a n d 11 y e a r s o f d e n tal p r a c t i c e i n f l u e n c e d h is d e c i s i o n t o r e t u r n t o t h e c r e a t iv e a rts w h i l e c o n t i n u i n g h is d e n t a l p ra c tic e . “ S c u lp tu re s e e m e d t h e a p p r o p r ia t e art
fo rm ; w a x the m o st s p o n ta n e o u s m e d iu m ; c ir e p e r d u e , lo s t w a x c a s tin g , t h e lo g ic a l t e c h n i q u e , " s a id D r . W illia m s . “ T h e m a te ria ls a n d to o ls w e r e r e a d ily a v a il a b le in m y o f f ic e . T h e b a s ic k n o w l e d g e o f t h e lo s t w a x p r o c e s s — t h e s a m e p r o c e s s u s e d in t h e fa b ric a tio n o f in la y s , c r o w n s , a n d p a rtia l d e n tu re s— had been a c q u ire d in dental s c h o o l , " h e s a id . " T h e c a r v in g s k ills a n d m a n u a l d e x t e r it y h a d b e e n c u lt iv a t e d in d e n t a l a n a t o m y c la s s e s . M o r e im p o r t a n t w a s t h e k n o w l e d g e o f h u m a n a n a t o m y a c q u i r e d in m y fre s h m a n ye a r o f d e n ta l s c h o o l. T h e k n o w l e d g e o f th e w o rk in g s o f m u s c le s a n d b o n e s of t h e a r m s , le g s , a n d t o r s o h a s b e e n m u c h m o r e u s e f u l t o m e a s a s c u l p t o r t h a n it e v e r w a s i n th e d e n ta l o ffic e ." T h e firs t s m a ll p ie c e s o f s c u l p t u r e c r e a t e d b y D r . W i l l i a m s w e r e c a s t c e n t r if u g a l l y in s t e r lin g s ilv e r w it h t h e a s s is ta n c e o f Je ffre y G a m b le , a n e ig h b o r in g d e n ta l te c h n ic ia n . S o m e o f JADA, Vol. 86, April 1973 ■ 763
"Icarus," 6 X 4 X 4 1Á inches. Sterling silver mounted on amethyst.
"Moses and the Pharaoh's Daughter," 5V* (diameter) x 4V2 inches. Sterling silver, brass, and amethyst geode.
h is e a rlie r fig u re s w e re c a re fu lly s p ru e d a n d m a n i p u l a t e d s o t h a t t h e y w o u l d f i t i n t o a VAin c h r in g u s u a lly r e s e rv e d f o r c a s tin g p a rtia l d e n tu re s . A s th e s c u lp tu re b e c a m e la rg e r, th e f ig u re s r e q u ir e d v a c u u m c a s tin g . “ I k n o w a f i g u r e is f i n i s h e d w h e n t h e t i n y w a x f i g u r e l o o k s a s if i t c o u l d m o v e , a s i f it m i g h t c h a n g e p o s i t i o n if I g l a n c e a w a y f o r a s e c o n d , " h e s a i d . " A f t e r t h a t , a ll e l s e is m e c h a n ic a l— th e c a s tin g , th e fin is h in g , th e p o lis h in g . T h e o n e m o m e n t o f c re a tio n m a k e s th e rest w o r t h w h ile ." In O c t o b e r 1 9 7 2 , D r . W illia m s 's w o r k w a s e x h ib it e d at a T u c s o n g a lle ry w it h th a t o f P h ilip B e l l o m o , o n e o f t h e f o r e m o s t c e r a m is t s in t h e S o u th w e st. U n t il th a t t im e , m o s t o f D r . W illia m s 's s c u lp tu re s w e r e o f m y th o lo g ic a l a n d fa b le d c h a ra c te rs. B u t n o w h e has b ra n c h e d o u t to in c lu d e b ib lic a l c h a ra c te rs s u c h as " M o s e s a n d th e P h a r a o h 's D a u g h e r ." " I f in d t h a t t h e m o r e I g a in in e x p e r i e n c e , t h e le ss s a tis fie d I a m t o w o r k s m a l l ," h e s a id . " B u t p e o p le s e e m fa s c in a te d b y m in ia tu re s — 764 ■ JADA, yol. 86, April 1973
t h e f a c t t h a t a f i g u r e t h r e e in c h e s ta ll m i g h t p o s s ib ly h a v e te n fin g e rs a n d te n to e s . " T h e c h a n g e i n s c a l e is a c o n s t a n t c h a l l e n g e , " D r . W illi a m s s a id . " H o w e v e r , m y p r in c ip a l c ri t e r i o n f o r a f i g u r e is h o w i t w o r k s a s a w h o l e , th e f lo w o f lin e s , th e te n s io n b e t w e e n p o in ts , a n d , m o s t im p o rta n t, th e c o n v e y a n c e o f an e m o tio n ." D r . W illia m s p la n s a s e rie s o f f ig u r e s o f c h il d re n , e n te rta in e rs , c irc u s p e rfo rm e rs , fre a k s , a n d s in g e rs .
Pan of the garden, the fold, Pan of the bird and the beast, Kindly, he lives as of old, He isn't dead in the least! — P atrick C h a lm e r s
Richard A. Lewis is Associate Editor, ADA NEWS. Photos: Dr. Williams by Philip Bellomo; “ Pan” and “ Icarus” by Ted Offret; “ Moses and the Pharaoh's Daughter” by William R. Schumacher.
O w e n C . W illiam s, sculptor R ic h a rd A . L e w is
And that dismal cry rose slowly And sank slowly through the air. Full of spirit's melancholy And eternity's despair! And they heard the words it said"Pan is deadl-Creat Pan is deadPan, Pan is dead.” — E l i z a b e t h B arrett B r o w n i n g O n t h e c o n t r a r y , P a n is a l i v e , a s a r e o t h e r m y th o lo g ic a l a n d b ib lic a l c h a ra c te rs w h ic h a T u c s o n , A riz , d e n tis t-s c u lp to r has re c re a te d a s s m a ll s c u l p t u r e d f i g u r e s n o m o r e t h a n s ix in c h e s l o n g a n d f iv e in c h e s ta ll. B e fo re e n te rin g th e B a y lo r C o lle g e o f D e n t is t r y in 1 9 5 7 , O w e n C . W i l l i a m s , 3 7 , h a d s t u d ie d a rt. H is c r e a t iv e d e s ir e a n d 11 y e a r s o f d e n tal p r a c t i c e i n f l u e n c e d h is d e c i s i o n t o r e t u r n t o t h e c r e a t iv e a rts w h i l e c o n t i n u i n g h is d e n t a l p ra c tic e . “ S c u lp tu re s e e m e d t h e a p p r o p r ia t e art
fo rm ; w a x the m o st s p o n ta n e o u s m e d iu m ; c ir e p e r d u e , lo s t w a x c a s tin g , t h e lo g ic a l t e c h n i q u e , " s a id D r . W illia m s . “ T h e m a te ria ls a n d to o ls w e r e r e a d ily a v a il a b le in m y o f f ic e . T h e b a s ic k n o w l e d g e o f t h e lo s t w a x p r o c e s s — t h e s a m e p r o c e s s u s e d in t h e fa b ric a tio n o f in la y s , c r o w n s , a n d p a rtia l d e n tu re s— had been a c q u ire d in dental s c h o o l , " h e s a id . " T h e c a r v in g s k ills a n d m a n u a l d e x t e r it y h a d b e e n c u lt iv a t e d in d e n t a l a n a t o m y c la s s e s . M o r e im p o r t a n t w a s t h e k n o w l e d g e o f h u m a n a n a t o m y a c q u i r e d in m y fre s h m a n ye a r o f d e n ta l s c h o o l. T h e k n o w l e d g e o f th e w o rk in g s o f m u s c le s a n d b o n e s of t h e a r m s , le g s , a n d t o r s o h a s b e e n m u c h m o r e u s e f u l t o m e a s a s c u l p t o r t h a n it e v e r w a s i n th e d e n ta l o ffic e ." T h e firs t s m a ll p ie c e s o f s c u l p t u r e c r e a t e d b y D r . W i l l i a m s w e r e c a s t c e n t r if u g a l l y in s t e r lin g s ilv e r w it h t h e a s s is ta n c e o f Je ffre y G a m b le , a n e ig h b o r in g d e n ta l te c h n ic ia n . S o m e o f JADA, Vol. 86, April 1973 ■ 763
"Icarus," 6 X 4 X 4 1Á inches. Sterling silver mounted on amethyst.
"Moses and the Pharaoh's Daughter," 5V* (diameter) x 4V2 inches. Sterling silver, brass, and amethyst geode.
h is e a rlie r fig u re s w e re c a re fu lly s p ru e d a n d m a n i p u l a t e d s o t h a t t h e y w o u l d f i t i n t o a VAin c h r in g u s u a lly r e s e rv e d f o r c a s tin g p a rtia l d e n tu re s . A s th e s c u lp tu re b e c a m e la rg e r, th e f ig u re s r e q u ir e d v a c u u m c a s tin g . “ I k n o w a f i g u r e is f i n i s h e d w h e n t h e t i n y w a x f i g u r e l o o k s a s if i t c o u l d m o v e , a s i f it m i g h t c h a n g e p o s i t i o n if I g l a n c e a w a y f o r a s e c o n d , " h e s a i d . " A f t e r t h a t , a ll e l s e is m e c h a n ic a l— th e c a s tin g , th e fin is h in g , th e p o lis h in g . T h e o n e m o m e n t o f c re a tio n m a k e s th e rest w o r t h w h ile ." In O c t o b e r 1 9 7 2 , D r . W illia m s 's w o r k w a s e x h ib it e d at a T u c s o n g a lle ry w it h th a t o f P h ilip B e l l o m o , o n e o f t h e f o r e m o s t c e r a m is t s in t h e S o u th w e st. U n t il th a t t im e , m o s t o f D r . W illia m s 's s c u lp tu re s w e r e o f m y th o lo g ic a l a n d fa b le d c h a ra c te rs. B u t n o w h e has b ra n c h e d o u t to in c lu d e b ib lic a l c h a ra c te rs s u c h as " M o s e s a n d th e P h a r a o h 's D a u g h e r ." " I f in d t h a t t h e m o r e I g a in in e x p e r i e n c e , t h e le ss s a tis fie d I a m t o w o r k s m a l l ," h e s a id . " B u t p e o p le s e e m fa s c in a te d b y m in ia tu re s — 764 ■ JADA, yol. 86, April 1973
t h e f a c t t h a t a f i g u r e t h r e e in c h e s ta ll m i g h t p o s s ib ly h a v e te n fin g e rs a n d te n to e s . " T h e c h a n g e i n s c a l e is a c o n s t a n t c h a l l e n g e , " D r . W illi a m s s a id . " H o w e v e r , m y p r in c ip a l c ri t e r i o n f o r a f i g u r e is h o w i t w o r k s a s a w h o l e , th e f lo w o f lin e s , th e te n s io n b e t w e e n p o in ts , a n d , m o s t im p o rta n t, th e c o n v e y a n c e o f an e m o tio n ." D r . W illia m s p la n s a s e rie s o f f ig u r e s o f c h il d re n , e n te rta in e rs , c irc u s p e rfo rm e rs , fre a k s , a n d s in g e rs .
Pan of the garden, the fold, Pan of the bird and the beast, Kindly, he lives as of old, He isn't dead in the least! — P atrick C h a lm e r s
Richard A. Lewis is Associate Editor, ADA NEWS. Photos: Dr. Williams by Philip Bellomo; “ Pan” and “ Icarus” by Ted Offret; “ Moses and the Pharaoh's Daughter” by William R. Schumacher.