Whimsical Underpinning

About Whimsical Underpinning

This indoor figurative tabletop bronze sculpture is made by Canadian artist Roch Smith.

The idea for this bronze series of ‘tree men’ first came to Roch Smith in a daydream. The form was inspired by nature—the limbs of men replaced by twig-like tree branches. In this piece, two male figures face outward, their exceedingly long ‘arms’ extended to provide the support or ‘underpinning’ for another figure that balances in the middle. Smith’s work is designed to provoke its viewers to think about human interaction and often suggests a positive message.

“I simply like the idea of stretching out beyond one’s body limitations with these really absurdly long arms and legs – that you could really give someone a huge boost or a really enveloping embrace.” Roch Smith

Roch Smith received a BFA (Honours Sculpture) from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design (ECIAD - 1997) and an MFA from York University (2003). A teacher as well as an artist, he has taught classes at the University of Waterloo, ECIAD and York University. He currently manages and operates the bronze and aluminum foundry at York University. Roch Smith has exhibited throughout Canada and in the US. His work is included in private, corporate and museum collections.