Country Life

Made of stone

FLESHY. Squidgy. Succulent. These are not words one expects to hear when talking about stone and sculpture, but Ben Russell’s creations of fungi, cacti and roots are far from ordinary themselves. Think about it—how many stone sculptures of plants have you seen in your life? For sure, you’ve seen carved acanthus capitals, floral bosses, palmettes and arabesques, particularly in Islamic architecture. Perhaps you’ve spied the odd two-dimensional floral cornucopia or sheaf of corn. But freestanding sculptures? In a field dominated by statues of gods, people (usually men) and animals (usually powerful), these pieces are remarkable not only for their subjects, but for

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