“My work is very much a physical manifestation of thoughts and emotions,” said Sterling Trail ’17, who had two of his recycled metal sculptures donated to the college by Angela Smith Domzal, parent of senior Andrew Domzal. “The reason I am drawn to visual art is because I find it easier to use physical action to describe emotion than to use words.”
Sterling has no problem describing the emotion of having his sculptures prominently displayed on the Marlboro campus: one, called Echo of Vestiges, in the quad in front of Snyder Center for the Visual Arts, and the other, called Resurrection of Atrophy, in the second floor hallway of the Rice-Aron Library (pictured, right).
“My pieces are probably the closest thing I will have to children,” said Sterling. “Giving the two pieces their names and letting them stand on their own, away from their maker, was one of the hardest things I’ve done. It has taken me some time to come to terms with them being on campus, but I can’t really imagine a better situation.”
The sculptures have pride of place on campus thanks to the interest and generosity of Angela Smith Domzal, a former trustee. On a visit to campus, she was so taken by the artistry of Sterling’s work she proposed buying two pieces to donate to the college.
“I love sculpture as an art form because of its dimensionality,” said Angela. “It’s tactile and engaging, and I wanted to see this around the Snyder Center. Sterling’s work spoke to me when I saw it on my first visit to the new visual arts building. He has talent— I saw that immediately. Marlboro students inspire me, and it has been a rewarding experience for me too.”
“Working with Angela was a very good experience, and showed how beautiful our community is,” said Sterling. “Having someone take an interest in my work, wanting the pieces to stay where they were conceived, is fitting. After all, many of the pieces of metal that went into the two sculptures were on the land for years prior to the sculptures’ creation.”
