ART OF RELIGION

By Helen Raice-Klotz

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

It's not easy to breathe new life into an old story. Unless, of course, you're an artist like Kirk Roda. Then the possibilities are endless.

"Roda uses traditional forms and traditional ideas, but expresses them in a whole new way," says Barron Hirsch Saginaw Valley State University professor of art.

What's even more Interesting is that Kirk Roda is only in his early 30s, still relatively early in his art career.

"Most young artists start with radical mediums and ideas and get more conservative as they get older," says Hirsch. "But Roda does the opposite. He started with traditional mediums and ideas. Maybe he'll get more radical with age.

" One thing is certain, whether radical or traditional, Roda is one artist to watch. And for the rest of this month, his work is easy to see. His sculpture is on display at the art gallery on SVSU's campus.

Roda is a Michigan sculptor who received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Eastern Michigan University. He develops his metal sculptures first in clay and wax, then makes the molds in bronze. After the casting, he uses patina, a chemical process, to add color to the figures.

His figures are small, only one to two feet in height. Although his sculptures show a variety of poses, they all use the same basic human form: an elongated body, stretched out arms and legs, a lengthened head. Most works are two dimensional, and yet they seem very alive. Roda uses great C-curves, variation of heights and placement of negative space, all of which give a feeling of movement to his work. His sculpture is clearly emotional, making it very engaging to the viewer.

His "Cortege Series" is one of several works on display.

Roda explains, "I like to work in a series, to see how many images one idea can yield."

"Cortege" means ceremonial funeral procession, and all three pieces, "Cortege I, II, and III," play with this theme. "Cortege II" depicts a Christ-like figure being carried by two other men, with long bars running vertically behind the figures. The form of the three men makes a clear horizontal line across the bars, creating the form of the cross. The pain of these two men is depicted in their bodies, which are long and stretched, curved with the weight of their burden.

Much of Roda's sculpture uses religious images.

"I grew up in the Catholic church," he explains. "I saw the figure of Christ again and again as a young person, and much of my work represents that influence.

" Other biblical characters he explores include "Moses," a rather humorous piece. This sculpture shows an old man with a long beard standing in front of a small woven basket, much smaller than the grown man in front of it. Another piece is "Casca," the Roman soldier who killed Christ. This is a cruel figure. His chest is arched in pride, and he holds a long, sharp spear that reaches well over his head. Although he is facing forward, his face is blank, with no eyes or mouth at all.

Roda plays with Greek and Roman characters as well. A notable piece is "Thanatos," the ancient Greek personification of death. Roda has created a male angel figure in this sculpture. It's V-shaped wings are raised in upsweep, and its body straight and lean, stretched out toward the ground.

It is a beautiful image.

"I did a series of winged figures," says Roda. "I liked the idea that death could be something that is not to be feared, but rather celebrated, perhaps even yearned for."

"The Tanglewood King" is one of Roda's newest pieces, different in form and style from his other works. "The Tanglewood King" is sculpture of a life-size male seated on a wooden chair, holding a large tree branch that sweeps up and over his head. The body is made from plaster, then wrapped in leaves, giving the figure a mummified look.

"The body is covered in leaves, and the branches are bare. It gives the work a sense of visual poetry, almost like a haiku," explains Roda.

Roda will be in the gallery Sept. 28 from 2 to 4 p.m. to answer questions about his work. The public is welcome to attend and meet the artist at this time. To read more about Roda's work, and to see a virtual gallery of his sculpture, visit his Web site at www.fineartsculptor.com.