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December 13, 2002/Tevet 8 5763, Vol. 55, No. 16
Artist sculpts rocks of ages
JOBETH JAMISON
Special to Jewish News
"Window," by Alan Hochman, is a fountain made from Vista Grande travertine.
Photo by JoBeth Jamison
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In the remote but rapidly developing desert area between Cave Creek and Carefree, just off a little dirt road, sits a spacious but humble desert estate with an eye-catching structure. "You can't miss it," asserts the proud owner while giving directions. He's right. Aside from a house, which on any other lot would be the main attraction, the crowning achievement here resembles a garage, except it has sliding copper doors, equipped with a series of rafters, hoists and pulleys.
It's the studio of Alan Hochman, a man who has shaped his desert dwelling for the purpose of answering a very arduous but rewarding calling as a sculptor.
For someone who spent most of his life traveling the globe, treading a lucrative path in computers and marketing, this unusual existence would seem out of character. It is anything but.
"It was very natural for me to start working with stone; as soon as I started working with it, it was as if I knew exactly what to do," says Hochman.
Until two years ago, Hochman divided his time between sculpting and his consulting business. He now sculpts full-time.
He started small. After reading books and practicing, he created his first piece - a small block of stone with a hollow for water called a "Zen Pool." Hooked on the fusion of stone and water, he embarked on carving through similar slabs to create fountains, all the while studying how the water moved around contours and shapes. He then began experimenting with larger portions. "Bigger pieces are more interesting and have a larger impact. They're so much more visible," says Hochman. Visible indeed. A neighbor saw one of his larger creations and commissioned him to design a piece for her home. The result? More orders came and Hochman's future as a sculptor became, literally, set in stone.
He now designs and builds fountains for public and private, indoor and outdoor use. They are constructed from various types of ancient stone that has been sliced cut into slabs, weighing upward of 150 pounds per cubic foot. The stone ranges from marble to slate, limestone (available with seashell fossils throughout the slab) and basalt to unusual varieties of travertine that he personally acquires by traveling the country in his specially rigged pickup.
Clients come to the studio and choose from a selection of rock that he has on site (though he states that clients have even gone so far as to meet him in New Mexico to pick out "their" piece). They discuss where the piece will go and the overall desired effect along with a deadline. Hochman then creates the sculpture and works with architects, landscapers and designers to install the fountain in the perfect place.
Despite the efficiency and flow of his business, make no mistake: Hochman is an artist. And while he identifies with his Jewish heritage, Alan says he conducts his life and art as a student of many different religious principals and philosophies that are expressed, intended or not, through his work.
The age-old relationship of stone and water is intricately expressed and maintained throughout Hochman's sculpting process. "There's a lot of communication time before I start doing anything," he says. "Once you start, you're committed - especially in this medium because you can't put things back." But Hochman also feels he has it better than many artists who work with other mediums because he doesn't ever start with a blank canvas. "There's stuff there. There's color. There's texture. It's just a question of figuring out what needs to be brought out and what's going to make sense."
For Hochman, it's important that his pieces are sensible to the ears as well as the eyes. "I'm always thinking about how the water's going to run, what it's going to look like. It's just always a part of the thought process," he says. His desired effect is not that of chaotic spraying or splashing at the insistence of visible tubes and motors. Though Hochman claims that, based on the designs, some fountains will splash more than others, he strives for the water to enhance the sculpture by subtly "finding its own way" down the face of the stone - a journey not unlike that of the artist, who states, "I really believe that when you're pursuing your path and doing the right thing, the universe takes care of you."
Hochman's work can be seen and ordered through his Web site www.stoneandwater.com. Completed pieces can be seen and purchased locally at Dixileta Gardens (480-502-8445) in Cave Creek, and through Calvin Charles (formerly Asietique) Gallery (480-421-1818) in Scottsdale.
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