The Lionheart Five: An Interview with John BonSignore
Five questions we ask every Lionheart Gallery artist.
John BonSignore is a New England sculptor whose work has been exhibited and collected around the world. His sculptures begin with a broad concept—a place or person, an animal or emotion—which he then pares down to find the unique essence of each subject and coax it to shine through. These refined stainless steel sculptures from his Toe Dancer series employ a continuous line to capture the moment of movement and gesture in ballerina’s poses: smooth, precise, flowing, and imbued with pure joy.
1) Name one of your most defining moments as an artist.
John BonSignore: My most defining moment as a sculptor was actually deciding that this was to be the path and dream that I would follow. I knew then, as well as now, two things to be true:
One, that if you abandon your dream, you simply die, slowly losing that singular thing that defines and separates you from the mundane crowd.
Two, that this was not just going to be a vocation, but more importantly, a lifestyle.
2) Do you collect anything?
JB: I only collect one thing—memories.
3) If you could choose anyone—and we mean anyone—whom would you pick as a mentor?
JB: I do not have any specific mentor in mind. However, after university, I did take away from my design professors the concept of “less is more,” which is the basis for my work. I also knew that I would have to betray all of my professors if I was to find my own original approach, which they all expected us to do.
4) What's the most indispensable item in your studio?
JB: When in a sculptor’s shop, it is easy to see that ever tool and item is indispensable; never any room for frills or frivolous items.
5) Tell us about one piece of art in this exhibition. You might describe your inspiration, your process, the title, and what the work signifies to you.
JB: The Toe Dancer is a refined figure, crafted of stainless steel, that captures the final moment of movement and gesture in each pose—smooth, elegant, and with a conclusion of continuous flow.
John BonSignore’s Toe Dancer sculpture series is currently on view at The Lionheart Gallery.
