(MENAFN- EIN Presswire)
This lifelike bronze sculpture of film star Natalie Wood was unveiled on Catalina Island on the 40th anniversary of her death.
Life-Sized Sculpture Displayed on Catalina Island, a Beloved Retreat for the Star and Also the Place Where She Died
AVALON, CATALINA ISLAND, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, January 11, 2022 /EINPresswire.com / -- A bronze sculpture depicting celebrated film star Natalie Wood is now displayed at Catalina Island's historic Glenmore Plaza Hotel.
The sculpture was revealed on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021, on the 40th anniversary of Wood's death at an event at the Hotel Metropole on Catalina Island. Her drowning was a controversial and tragic end to the 43 year-old actress' life . She died off the coast of Catalina Island in 1981.
Created by Arkansas-based artist Kevin Kresse, the work was sculpted with foam underneath oil-based clay, which was then cast in bronze. The life-sized piece is a memorial to the kindness and authenticity that Wood demonstrated to her family and supporters.
“I concentrated on conveying the qualities which made her such a lovely person and wonderful mother. It is difficult to capture these in a frozen moment of sculpture, but I'm proud of the results,” Kresse said.“I hope her fans see the beauty and humanity in this piece and that it is a positive addition to Natalie's legacy.”
The sculpture that now memorializes the late actress was strategically crafted for Catalina Island because of Wood's love for the area, and the work reflects many of the qualities Wood and the island both shared—natural beauty, a lack of pretension and approachability. It sits on a triangular copper frame, featuring a plaque that includes a description of an iconic scene from“A Rebel without A Cause,” a film in which Wood starred at age 16.
Catalina Mayor Anni Marshall described the work as“remarkable.”
“If you were to just walk by and not read the plaque, you would still instantly know that this is Natalie Wood. There is no question,” Mayor Marshall said.
The bust sculpture is on display at the Glenmore Plaza Hotel, under the watchful eye of owner Jimmy Amoroso. Amoroso's family purchased the historic hotel just four months before Wood's passing on Catalina Island.
“Locating a home for Natalie Wood's bust, whether temporary or permanent at the Glenmore Plaza Hotel is very appropriate. An iconic hotel for an iconic movie star,” Mayor Marshall said.“Whether anyone knew of Natalie's accomplishments as an actress, the bust is an incredible work of art by Kevin Kresse and I appreciate the commission sponsored by Samuel Perroni.”
Author and criminal law authority Sam Perroni commissioned Kresse for the sculpture project as a tribute to the actress and a gift to fans. Perroni is the author of “Brainstorm: An Investigation of the Mysterious Death of Film Star Natalie Wood,” released in December 2021. For more information, visit .
All author profits from the book will be donated to charities in Wood's memory.
About Kevin Kresse
Kevin Kresse is a painter and sculptor based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Kresse has been awarded painting fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, Mid-America Arts Alliance and the Arkansas Arts Council. He has also won several awards in the Arkansas Arts Center annual Delta competition.
Kresse previously exhibited his work around Arkansas and in New York City, Washington D.C., Memphis, and Atlanta.
High-resolution images available for download here:
Jennifer Joyner
Thoma Thoma
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